A Cherry Blossom's Compromise
by aniimefreak161
Summary: Sakura is imprisoned by the Akatsuki until Itachi offers her an unexpected way out. Madara knows that something is strange with this deal and fears Itachi's real ulterior motives. But does Itachi even really understand his desire to have the Leaf Ninja beside him? [Version 2] ItaSaku
1. Chapter 1

**I'm only going to do this once, so listen up please!**

**Couples:**

⋆ The main couple here is ItaSaku.

⋆ Hinted Konan and Nagato coupling

**Updates:**

⋆ This story is updated every Sunday

**Rating/Language:**

⋆ This is rated T mainly for cuss words. I don't use the F-bomb in my stories but Hidan is particularly fond of cuss words so I use it (sparingly) when writing about him. I also don't used honorifics (-chan, -san, -kun) unless it's being used in a mocking way (again, usually Hidan).

**Version:**

⋆ This is the second version of this story. The other one has a slightly different picture and a nearly identical title (it's simply "cherry blossom's compromise"). I left it up as a reminder to myself and to show how much I and this story have grown. I won't harp about why I had to rewrite the old one (I did that enough already) but if you have questions, contact me.

**Titles:**

⋆ All of the titles are song lyrics that fit what is happening in the chapter or how a character is feeling.

**Content:**

⋆ Characters in this story are alive when they shouldn't be in the show. If I kill someone who isn't supposed to die or vice versa, just go with it. Please.

⋆ I _do_ use elements from both the manga and the anime.

**Warnings:**

⋆ There are MASSIVE spoilers in here if you aren't SOMEWHAT up-to-date on Shippuden. Don't blame me if I ruin something for you!

⋆ I don't want to hear crap about pairings from the show. If you like a couple in the anime and are angry that I didn't include them, please don't comment.

⋆ Be CONSTRUCTIVE with your criticism. Don't comment to be negative. If you're going to be negative, please try to be informative. Let me know why you don't like it.

**Alright, all done.**

**I'll shut up now.**

**I hope you enjoy the NEW and (hopefully) improved Cherry Blossom's Compromise :)**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 1: "You've twenty seconds to comply."**

_**― Let go by Frou Frou**_

Itachi's soft rhythmical footfalls lulled him into a peaceful state of mind as he stared out ahead blankly. He only snapped out of his trance when he noticed two men off in the distance. As Itachi and Kisame walked closer, Itachi's blurry eyes recognized their fellow Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu.

"Look who it is," Kisame chuckled and put a hand to his hip.

Hidan glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the shark man's voice and smirked, "Yo."

Kisame crossed his arms over his broad chest as he flashed his sharp-toothed grin. "I see you did well, Kakuzu."

At the mention of his name, the bounty hunter paused in counting his money, "We did. Kazumi paid well to have those Leaf Village brats killed off."

Kisame pointed to the girl over Hidan's shoulder. "If they're supposed to be dead, then what is that?"

"Just someone who got in our way," Kakuzu mumbled as he went back to thumbing through his money.

"She was bringing the Genin brats cookies," Hidan elaborated. "She didn't even see our attack coming."

"You shouldn't have eaten those cookies," Kakuzu growled.

"Were you going to sell them!?" Hidan shot back hotly. "Are you a friggin' Girl Scout now!?"

"Why'd you bring the girl alive?" Itachi interrupted in an attempt to prevent one of the all-too-common Zombie Duo rampages.

Hidan jerked a thumb at Kakuzu. "He said we should bring her back for interrogation. He wouldn't let me sacrifice her right away."

"You can sacrifice her _after_," Kakuzu grumbled.

The silver-haired man rolled his eyes and muttered something about ignorant atheists.

"Well"—Kisame cracked his neck—"I need a soak. I'll see you guys inside."

With that, the shark man disappeared inside. Itachi followed his partner into the hideout but couldn't help glancing at the unmoving girl over Hidan's shoulder. Her face was hidden by her hair and her skin was bruised and cut; blood still dripped from a particularly deep gash on her arm.

Itachi tore his gaze from the unnamed kunoichi and stepped up into the hideout.

••••••••

"I'm surprised she's held out this long," Kisame commented as the girl's screams died down.

No one responded in the room even though the thought was echoing through all of their minds. Itachi glanced around the room; members of the Akatsuki had crammed themselves in a small room to watch the captured Leaf Ninja's torture through a two-way mirror. Even Leader had made an appearance tonight. The only one not there was the illusive "God's Angel" – Konan.

The Uchiha's gaze moved to the room through the two-way mirror. The pink-haired girl was dressed in a tattered grey gown that barely reached down to her shoulders. She was confined to a rickety wooden chair by rope around her wrists, ankles, and chest that tore into her skin. Her shuddering frame was barely visible in the candle-lit interrogation room; the wax had already burnt through half of its mass from the passing hours of the girl's torture.

Sasori moved away from the girl and dropped a drained syringe onto a silver tray to pick up another one. The bulky man turned back to his prisoner and jabbed the needle through her sickly pale skin without announcement. As he emptied the green liquid into her body the girl shivered. Her shoulders hunched and her head lolled forward. Her hair was matted to her sweating face. Her legs trembled and her hands twitched in their restraints.

"There's no way she'll withstand it much longer," Deidara stated unsympathetically with a look of boredom plastered on his young face. The blond extremist casually leaned with his back against the glass of the mirror.

"You said that two days ago," Kisame teased with a grin.

Deidara's face twisted in a scowl but he said nothing back.

Attention returned back to the prisoner as her sharp scream pierced the air. Fresh blood gushed from a wound along the side of her neck. Sasori yanked up the hem of her gown and the battered girl threw back her head as Sasori's scalpel tore through the flesh along her exposed thigh. A stream of crimson flowed from the deep cut. She clenched her jaw tightly to keep from screaming and her nostrils flared as her chest heaved.

Sasori grabbed her face and asked her a question. Like she'd done since the day her imprisonment had begun, the girl remained silent. She didn't even insult her torturer. When Sasori released her face, the girl's chin dropped to her chest. Sasori tossed the syringe and moved out of the room.

"Stubborn child!" the grumpy man huffed as he shuffled into the dark room filled with his fellow Akatsuki members.

"Having some trouble, Sasori?" Deidara jabbed.

Sasori's blood-shot eyes stared murderously at the blond. "Shut your mouth!"

"I'm just saying—"

"Don't say anything, Deidara," Leader ordered.

Silence fell as Leader rose from his chair; his unusual eyes never moved away from the girl in the next room. Minutes ticked by silently until, finally, Leader spoke up again, "Itachi, it's your turn. Break her."

Itachi kept his dismay internalized and glanced back at the trembling pink-haired girl in the other room. He hadn't wanted to torture her. This whole time, he'd secretly hoped she'd snap so it wouldn't come to this. His Sharingan was suited to all types of mental torture making him the perfect choice to break a stubborn girl but Itachi's heart was never in it. He wouldn't enjoy this.

"You're dismissed," Leader announced as he moved out of the room.

The others disappeared immediately and left Itachi to absently stare at his next victim.

••••••••

Itachi opened the door to the interrogation room and cautiously glanced at the two-way mirror. There was no one behind it but that didn't shake off his unease. He stepped inside and the girl's head snapped up. Slightly startled, Itachi hesitated before moving forward; he had thought she was asleep. Her dazed eyes focused on him and a roaring fire flared up in the female's green eyes.

Itachi met her unfaltering gaze. He assumed it was from ignorance that she didn't advert her gaze; maybe she knew nothing about the Sharingan and it's powers. He bit back his sudden dread and conjured up a simple Genjutsu. Before it could flourish, however, the girl had dispelled it. Itachi's eyes widened with shock.

The imprisoned kunoichi sat bound in her chair looking like a miserable wreck but her green eyes flashed with victory. She knew exactly what the Sharingan did. She just didn't care.

Itachi tested his theory by throwing out another simple Genjutsu and, again, the girl immediately shattered it. Itachi crossed his arms and admiration replaced pity as he looked at the girl. It was true. She did know about the Sharingan. She was beaten and drugged but still dared to fight back. In her condition, she shouldn't be _able_ to fight back. No wonder Sasori was having such a difficult time breaking her.

Itachi met her gaze again but didn't call up a Genjutsu. The girl's brow furrowed with concentration as she awaited the mental attack that never came. She was momentarily confused by this but the fire returned to her eyes almost immediately.

_That fire,_ Itachi noted with slight nostalgia,_ is this the Will of Fire?_

He bowed his head as shame crept over him. _Have I been away so long that I've forgotten what that looks like?_

When he looked at her again, Itachi felt the heaviness in his chest grow as he realized that he missed that fire. The girl was physically weak but none of that mattered as long as she had that spark in her eyes; as long as the Will of Fire burned within her, she would not break.

Itachi stepped forward and the kunoichi flinched. She was stunned when he did not hurt her immediately and waited patiently for whatever blow would come next. Instead of harming her, however, Itachi knelt before her to carefully undo the bonds around her ankles. This only seemed to shock the girl more and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Next, he undid the rope around her chest and the girl fell forward in her seat with exhaustion. Itachi gently held her upright just in time to see her eyelids droop. She struggled to remain conscious and her eyelids fluttered sporadically. A tightness began to replace the heaviness in Itachi's chest. Her unfocused eyes momentarily met his and she whispered feebly, "Sasuke."

Her voice was weak and rough from underuse.

The corners of the her lips trembled as if she were going to smile but exhaustion finally claimed her. The girl's head lolled forward and her body slumped in her seat. Itachi kept her from slipping out of the chair and scooped her into his arms. The girl was cold and barely weighed anything. As he stared down at the sleeping ninja Itachi reached a conclusion; if anyone had to extinguish that fire within the girl, it wouldn't be him.

••••••••

The frigid stone floor had numbed her body entirely and, in doing so, had thankfully taken away some of the agonizing pain she felt every time she moved her aching limbs. Even the small act of curling her toes brought tears to her eyes. Movement itself was limited – the bindings around her wrists and ankles made sure of that.

Her temple throbbed against the hard stone and her core body temperature was lowering at an alarming rate. She wouldn't survive the night if she didn't get warm – that's if the dehydration didn't kill her first.

Her body convulsed from the cold and she inhaled raggedly as searing pain pulsated throughout her being. She squeezed her eyes shut against the inky darkness that had been her only companion for days now. Her foggy mind sifted through painful memories and Sakura shuddered as images of the bulky man with bloodshot eyes came back to her with vivid recollection. The man had filled her with drugs and nearly drained her system of blood; Sakura felt her skin flare as she recalled the sensation of the scalpel on her flesh. She wanted to curl up into a ball and weep but she was too exhausted to do either.

An image of menacing red eyes shot past Sakura's vision and her eyes flew open wide with terror. She felt her heart thunder in her chest as a cold sweat made her skin crawl. The owner of those eyes—Itachi Uchiha—had barely begun his interrogation. What would he do to her in the future? He'd only used small Genjutsu on her yesterday; she was terrified of what he would try in the near future.

A slim strip of light fell across her face and Sakura's panic reached a maddening peak. She blinked rapidly as tears formed in her light-sensitive eyes. She wiggled backward despite her body's cry of protest. As her eyes adjusted she could see a pair of crimson eyes staring at her from outside of her cell door. The owner of those eyes didn't speak; he only watched her from the narrow horizontal slit in the metal door. Sakura didn't even attempt to speak for fear that her voice would betray her frailty and stared back for several agonizing moments. Both the Uchiha and the kunoichi watched the other silently with indifference in their eyes until finally the metal door opened with a jarring groan.

Every cell in Sakura's body screamed at her to move back toward the wall as muted light flooded the room but fear had rendered her limbs immobile. Itachi approached rather casually; the expression on his stoic face was as blank as a sheet of paper. He crouched before her and his intense eyes bored down into hers searchingly. His lips parted and he called out to her in a deceivingly calm voice, "Kunoichi."

It almost sounded like a greeting.

Sakura didn't return it.

She continued to meet his gaze without flinching and the Akatsuki tilted his head to the side with dull amusement. Without another word, Itachi slid his astonishingly warm hand under her arm and dragged her to her feet. The sounds of her body scrapping against the stone echoed around the small room aggravating Sakura's headache. Dots flashed across her eyes just before her vision tunneled. She dropped to her knees momentarily blinded. When her vision flickered back to life, she saw the elder Uchiha steadying her with a single hand and patiently waiting for her to gain her bearings.

Sakura glared down at the pale, painted fingers coiled around her upper arm and, with renewed vigor, rejecting Itachi's assistance despite the agony that brought tears to her eyes. Her chin tilted upward the slightest as Itachi stared at her—a flicker of amusement resided in his crimson gaze.

The pinkette ground her teeth together to keep back her angry comment which would have undoubtedly earning her a good beating. The male ninja turned his back to Sakura but kept his light grip on her arm. Silently, Itachi led her through the doorway of her cell and brought her out into the torch-lit hallway. Her eyes had grown accustomed to the shifting firelight and could scan ahead a few feet. The hallway was incredibly long with doors of every kind along both walls. Not a single sound came from the damp dungeon—that's what Sakura assumed it was—except for the drifting echo of Itachi and his prisoner's footsteps.

The beaten kunoichi constantly stumbled along their trek, much to her humiliation. Itachi, however, didn't look back once no matter how much she stumbled over her own feet. He didn't even pause when Sakura tripped, crashed into a wall, and knocked a torch that hung there to the ground. Embers and ash spilt across the floor at Sakura's feet and the wood clattered loudly against the solid ground. She stepped over the mess cautiously as Itachi pulled her along.

She wanted to interrogate the mute man but instead decided to glare daggers into his back and bide her time. Her thoughts turned dark as the Akatsuki man continued on without speaking. She should struggle. She should try to escape. He was leading her back to that candle-lit room where he would reach into her mind and shatter her completely to get access to privileged information on Konoha. She couldn't let that happen. She'd been able to withstand the bulky man's physical torture—she had suffered worse through training with Tsunade—but she wouldn't be able to stand against Itachi's mental attacks.

Unfortunately, her body was already trembling with weakness. Even the thought of fighting made her head droop with weariness. She ground her teeth together with helpless anger. She was the Akatsuki's prisoner and there was nothing she could do about any of it.

While she had been conjuring up such negative ideas, Itachi had led her down another hallway and stopped before a steel door. She was only aware of this when he told her to step inside.

The girl stared into the gloomy room before her. It wasn't the same one she had been tortured in before. There was no giant mirror nor was there a plethora of flicking candles. Also, there were no torture devices scattered about on a metal tray. Sakura didn't have time to feel relieved, however, as Itachi nudged her forward. The weakened girl tumbled and crashed to the flood in a heap on her stomach. The door closed behind Itachi and Sakura's eyes narrowed. She rolled onto her back to see Itachi reaching inside of his robe.

_What the hell is he doing?_ she thought frantically.

Sweat beaded on the girl's forehead and her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't let Itachi snap her mind and glean the information there. She opened her mouth and prayed that she had enough strength to bite through her tongue. Before she could snap her jaw shut, however, Itachi stuffed an apple between her lips; her teeth sunk into the soft skin of the bright fruit and juice oozed from the wound. An unreal and animalistic hunger took over her and she chewed apart the apple ravenously. It was only after she was done that humiliation washed over her. Like a dog, she had eaten from the hand of her supposed master and she felt disgusted with herself.

Itachi placed the pad of his thumb against one corner of Sakura's mouth to gently swipe away the trickle of juice that dribbled down her chin.

Anger and embarrassment had washed away Sakura's common sense and the apple had given her a falsely renewed sense of strength. She squared her shoulders and looked her captor dead in the eye. "What do you want?" she demanded.

A glimpse of amusement flared to life in his bloody eyes once more, striking a match of ire in Sakura's chest. She didn't think he'd reply to her question at all, but after several long moments he said, "Do you love Konoha?"

"Of course I do," she answered with disbelief. How could he ask her such an idiotic question?

"Do you love its people?"

Sakura opened her mouth to repeat her previous response but paused as she met Itachi's gaze. Something in those intense eyes of his told her to consider her words carefully. She pondered his query and his reasons behind asking such a strange line of questions.

After some consideration, she replied, "What does it matter?"

He ignored her own question and continued on with his strange interrogation, "Aren't ninjas only supposed to love their people and hate all others?"

_Why were they having this discussion?_ Sakura wondered as she carefully chose her next response, "It's not about love or hate necessarily."

"Do you have to hate to kill?" Dancing shadows drifted across the man's pale face which made his question seem all the more mysterious.

Sakura pursed her lips and shook her head from side to side.

This seemed to pacify him and he moved toward a hidden compartment that resided in the shadows. Sakura's muscles clenched as he pried open the wooden door and stepped inside. She expected him to come back out with devices to torture her with but when he returned, he held a bowl in one hand and a white cloth in the other.

He dipped the rag in the water and gently dabbed it against Sakura's cheeks. The raven-haired man looked as if he wanted to speak but had no intentions of doing so. Cool water trailed down the pink-haired girl's face but brought minimal comfort to her sore body. As he continued to swipe the drenched rag across her face, Sakura felt the familiar pull of sleep tug at the fraying corners of her mind.

She roughly shoved all thoughts of sleeping away, however, and continued watching the Uchiha suspiciously. She didn't know why he was behaving so strangely and it made her anxiety grow as she waited for the moment when he would toss her into a terrible Genjutsu. The calmness the man radiated was unexpected to say the least. From the stories she'd heard, Itachi was a cold-blooded psychopath with plenty of blood on his hands. However, those hands were now busy cleaning Sakura's dirtied face with great care and gentleness. The wheels in Sakura's head spun madly as she searched for an answer to the questions buzzing around her aching skull but she could come up with nothing.

"How far would you go to protect the lives of the innocent?"

Itachi's question stunned her and Sakura sat for several moments, completely unable to speak.

"Have I misjudged you then?" He asked calmly as he continued to dab the cloth to her skin.

Anger melted away the ice holding Sakura back from answering him, "I would do anything for innocent people."

"Even become an enemy yourself?"

Again stunned by his question, Sakura fumbled to form a single coherent sentence before she squeaked out, "What?"

Itachi didn't answer her and he didn't seem likely to anytime soon. Irked by his riddle-filled questions, Sakura slapped his hand away when he went to stroke the cool rag against her face. Her fiery gaze met his without blinking, "Answer me. What do you mean?"

He annoyingly answered her question with another question, "Does it need explaining?"

"Yes. Yes, it does," Sakura replied forcefully.

He pressed the rag to her swollen bottom lip and she winced visibly, much to her horror. "Can you strike a bargain with someone you despise?"

He rarely spoke but it seemed that every time Itachi did, he managed to shock Sakura into silence.

"What kind of bargain?" She asked warily.

"You can spare the lives of countless innocent people, including your Jinchuriki, if you can throw away everything to join the Akatsuki." Itachi stared at her passively even though his words struck her with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs.

"E-excuse me?" she stuttered completely aghast. Was he threatening her? Was he telling her that if she didn't join the Akatsuki, her friends would die? Why the hell did he want her to join the Akatsuki anyway?

"Your life among the Akatsuki wouldn't be easy and"—he dabbed the wet rag against the tender bruise just below her eye—"you would become an object of hatred for your own people."

Her thoughts moved with difficulty to bring the pieces together. She tried to use all of her intelligence to read the meaning in Itachi's questions but failed miserably. "I don't understand," Sakura finally whispered.

She thought he would be annoyed but he showed no flicker of ire or annoyance in his face at her lack of understanding. He gently placed the cloth back in the depleted bowl of water and asked, "Are you willing to join the Akatsuki?"

"Is that how you get members?" Sakura hissed furiously. "Through threats?"

Itachi's looked at her impassively. "I'm not threatening you. I'm giving you a choice."

"A choice to either betray the people I would die to protect or watch them die safely from the sidelines," she argued.

"Are you thinking clearly?" Itachi's red stare became unbearably intense. "Or are you letting pride cloud your judgement? Do you really live to serve? Or do you live to receive gratification?" His icy words struck Sakura hard.

"By joining the Akatsuki, I would do the opposite of serving them," she hissed vehemently.

"Not if you agree to what I offer you," the raven-haired man insisted.

Sakura's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why are you willing to make a bargain with me for people you could care less about?"

"Are you in any position to interrogate my motives?"

"I would rather die as a victim of the Akatsuki's merciless behavior than become one of them," Sakura snarled.

"You're no good to your people dead."

Her jaw dropped. He was calling her selfish and questioning her morality. He hadn't said it outright but the underlying meaning was quite obvious._ I'm saying I would rather die loyal than die as a traitor!_ Sakura's breath halted as icy realization crept into her trembling body. A statement that had seemed so profound and devoted before now suddenly sounded callous and selfish. Was he right? Was she adamant about not joining the Akatsuki simply because she wanted her name to go down in the books as a loyal servant of Konoha? Itachi claimed he was offering her a way to save people. She didn't know how that was possible but if there was a way...?

Itachi rose to his feet and returned the bowl and rag to the hidden room. "It appears I was wrong about you."

He moved to the door, planning on leaving Sakura alone in the cell.

"Wait!" she blurted.

Itachi paused; he didn't turn back to look at her but was obviously paying attention to her words.

"I'll do it." Her voice was barely audible even in the still silence.

"I'll do it," Sakura repeated with her head bowed and her hands clenched into fists on her lap. "I'll join the Akakatsuki."

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who patiently waited for this new version to come out. You have my deepest gratitude :)**

**Updates every Sunday.**

**Leave Comments, Reviews, or PM me :) Whatever floats your boat.**

_-Anii_


	2. Chapter 2

**Please don't be offended when Hidan drops the F-bomb -_-;**

******HAPPY EASTER :D! ********Don't get fat from all the Easter candy! lol**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 2: "My flat line inhibition is my ammunition."**

_**―One of Those Nights by The Cab**_

Naruto lifted the entrance flap to Ramen Ichiraku, inhaling deeply as the familiar smell of the old shop washed over him. The old man behind the counter, Teuchi, lifted his head to smile at the approaching customer. Upon seeing just who had entered, however, the man's friendly smile turned into that of genuine shock.

"Naruto?" he stammered.

The boy ninja grinned madly as his stomach roared to life. "Can I get a bowl of the good stuff, old man? Do you still remember what I like?"

Teuchi called over one of his daughter to help the other customers and began personally preparing Naruto's meal as the boy sat down.

"It's been a long time, Naruto," Teuchi laughed. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"I've done nothing but train," Naruto sighed mournfully as he intently watched the cook prepare his food. "I've gotten a lot stronger. Maybe I'll give you a demonstration one day."

The old shop owner chuckled and fell into silence as he carefully fixed Naruto's favorite dish. As he waited, Naruto's curiosity got the better of him and he listened to the two men beside him chat; he hoped to hear some gossip about his mighty return. Naruto giggled to himself as he imagined the girls that would flock to him. Neither man looked as if they were retelling news of a gallant young ninja's return home. In fact, they were both pale and wore horrible expressions of disbelief. Naruto focused on the man closest to him - a red-haired man.

"Something isn't right," the redhead insisted, tapping his bowl absently with a spoon. "It doesn't make sense."

His friend—a man with wild green eyes—nodded solemnly. "It's been two weeks. They're finally giving up hope."

"I heard they're holding funerals already," the first man stated in a hushed tone. "It was just a routine scouting mission. It's not fair that all those kids had to die."

"Kids?" Naruto blurted, drawing attention to himself. He blushed immediately, realizing he'd been caught eavesdropping.

He smiled kindly at the bewildered strangers beside him. "Excuse me, could you tell me what you were just talking about?"

The red-haired man stammered out the best explanation he could, "Well, uh, there was a group of genin that went missing a week ago. The higher ups refuse to admit it, but everyone thinks the kids were killed."

"Slaughtered is the better term," his companion grumbled.

The redhead ignored his friend's utterance. "Their bodies were never found but there's no way there could be that much blood in our forests without some kind of messy murder."

"Where was their teacher?" Naruto asked, the excitement of his homecoming suddenly diminishing.

The talkative redhead looked as if he were going to be sick. "That was the only body found. He was so badly beaten, he was almost unrecognizable."

A light lit in green-eyed man's face. "There was a young girl that went missing right around the same time."

His red-haired friend nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah. I can't remember her name. I think I knew her parents a while back though."

"Is this really appropriate talk around food?" Teuchi grumbled.

"Do you know her name, old man?" Naruto asked. He was disappointed his homecoming had been met with such abysmal news.

The old man's eyes shifted furtively as deep wrinkles formed along his mouth.

"Who cares?" someone snapped.

Naruto turned to his right to find a man slumped over the counter. The man's hair and clothing were disheveled. His face was splotched with red patches and he slurred his words as he spoke, "She probably orchestrated the whole thing. Thas' why she disappeared. Didn't want to get caught and charged!"

Ayame stared daggers at the obviously inebriated man from her place beside her elderly father. "How could you say something so horrible about someone you don't even know?" she hissed.

The kind Ayame cast Naruto a sympathetic look and the blond boy laughed nervously, "Doesn't anyone know who she is?"

The pair of men to his left muttered to each other and the atmosphere became suffocatingly thick.

Teuchi finally spoke up, "Haruno."

Naruto felt delirious laughter bubble in his chest. "Haruno? That can't be right."

Naruto met the old man's firm gaze with blatant confusion but the apology in the shop owner's eyes rang clear as he clarified, "The girl who went missing was Sakura Haruno."

"Heh." The drunk man tipped back his head to down another glass of alcohol. "So thas' the bitch's name, huh?"

Naruto's fist moved faster than any eye could follow; he struck the man right under the jaw. Dishes clattered and the man fell off of his stool from the force.

••••••••

Tsunade's fury was unstoppable. "You struck a citizen!?"

"He made false claims," Naruto argued. He sat across from Tsunade's desk with his arms crossed defiantly over his chest but he was unable to meet the infuriated Hokage's gaze.

Tsunade's anger ebbed the slightest. "What kind of claims?"

Naruto opened his mouth to explain but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't say it. He didn't want to repeat those vicious lies. "Never mind," the blond **_muttered _**as he slumped childishly in his seat.

He tried a new tactic and hoped that it would placate her anger slightly, "He wasn't hurt badly."

All that did was fan the flames.

"It doesn't matter! You are a ninja of Konoha! Ninja don't go around hitting citizens!" Tsunade howled.

Ton-Ton cowered behind Shizune's legs, terrified of his mistress's ire. Naruto wished he could do the same. He looked at Shizune, begging to be rescued but the woman closed her eyes and sternly insisted, "You were wrong, Naruto."

Naruto puffed out a sigh, feeling helpless. "What do you want me to do? Apologize to the guy?"

"It won't do any good." Tsunade sighed as well and some of the frustration left her body. She pinched the bride of her nose and sank down into her chair heavily. She placed a hand on the papers cluttering up her desk and placed her chin on her fist.

Naruto stood up to leave but felt rooted to the ground. The question was on the tip of his tongue. His muscles trembled as he asked, "Is it true?"

Tsunade glanced at him. "Is what true?"

"Is Sakura missing?!" Naruto didn't intend to raise his voice but all inhibitions slipped away as fear and anger swelled within him.

Tsunade's back straightened; she was visibly upset by the question and her gaze lowered. "Yes."

Her confirmation pierced harshly through Naruto's chest, making the boy's head drop in disbelief.

"Why haven't you found her yet?" Naruto demanded as he fought back tears.

"We're doing all we can, Naruto." Tsunade's voice was calm but her brow furrowed with hidden emotion.

The young ninja's anger tore savagely at his will and the words spilled from his mouth, "Do you really think she could have done it? Do you think she killed those kids?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Where did you hear those awful rumors?"

"Naruto," Shizune broke in. "Is that why you struck that man? Did he tell you those things?"

"He said Sakura betrayed us. He said she killed the genin," Naruto replied as the rush of emotions grew unbearable.

"You should rest," Tsunade insisted.

She didn't answer his question. She'd ignored it entirely.

When the blond-haired boy opened his mouth to argue, Tsunade fixed him with her terrifying gaze and said, "Don't fight me on this, Naruto. Please. We'll find Sakura. Just be patient. I hope your training has at least taught you that."

••••••••

Naruto angrily hopped off of the last step leading out of the Hokage's building. He kicked at the ground and send up a spray of dust that settled lazily. Unfortunately, Naruto's emotions were not so easily tamed.

He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and trudged through the village with his head bowed low. He ground his teeth together as he struggled to wrap his mind around Sakura's disappearance.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He'd expected to come home, full of vim and vigor, and find a new and improved Sakura from the one he'd left behind three years ago. She'd probably hit him for some reason but it would be just like old times. He'd tell her all about his adventures with Jiraya and she'd tell him about everything that had transpired while he was away. In truth, he'd hoped to show off a bit. He wasn't the same little boy he had been before when he'd left the village. He'd hoped to make her fall head over heels with him now that he was an adult.

Since he'd come back, his head had been filled with thoughts of seeing the pinkette.

"Look at the moon, sweetie," a man whispered to his wife.

The woman gleefully snuggled against her husband's chest and sighed wistfully. "It's so beautiful tonight."

Naruto tilted his head back and his blue eyes roamed the sky for the beauty the woman saw. The stars and moon hadn't lost any of their luster it was the despair in Naruto that kept the ninja from seeing the beauty of the night sky. The crushing sadness sat painfully on his shoulders and he couldn't shake it no matter how hard he tried.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, Naruto!" a female shrieked just as a fist collided with the back of Naruto's skull.

Naruto whipped around but his hope was instantly smashed. "Oh, it's just you, Ino."

"Just me!?" the platinum blonde's nostrils flared with indignation. "I came all this way to say 'hi' to you and this is how we meet after three years?!"

Naruto held up his hands pathetically and tried to smile. "S-sorry."

Ino tilted back her chin. "Did you think I was Sakura?"

Naruto adverted his gaze. "Yeah, sorry."

Ino's shoulders sagged and sympathy flashed in her eyes. "It's okay. I've got some time before I have to get home. Why don't we talk?"

Naruto's smile was small but genuine. "Sure."

Ino moved beside him and the two began to walk aimlessly. Ino asked about Naruto's adventures and he told her a few that made her laugh. He polietly asked what she'd been up to since he left.

"Training," Ino grimaced. "Sakura convinced me to become a medical ninja too but it wasn't easy."

Naruto's laughter was halted as her words sunk in and he turned to the girl beside him. "Sakura's a medical ninja?" he whispered dumbly.

Ino seemed momentarily shocked and then she smiled. "I keep forgetting how long you've been gone. She was trained by Tsunade personally."

Naruto felt like laughing as pride swelled in his chest to allieviate some of the sadness hanging around him. "That's great."

Ino started walking again with her hands behind her back and smiled. "Tsunade didn't make it easy. There were times Sakura was so exhausted, she couldn't even argue with me."

"I bet. Granny is"—Naruto swallowed as he recalled his own painful experiences with the Hokage—"tough."

Ino nodded in agreement, "It was tough but Sakura managed to get though it. I was a little jealous."

Naruto asked a painful question, "Do you believe the rumors about her?"

"Do you?" Ino turned to Naruto and stared at him quizzically.

The question had run through Naruto's mind since the first moment he'd heard the rumors. He imagined Sakura's smiling face and then imagined the bodies of children around her. The two images didn't fit; there was no way Sakura was capable of such cruelty, especially against her comrades.

Naruto squared his shoulders and replied with conviction, "If we don't believe in her, can we really call ourselves her friends?"

Ino beamed as if that were the answer she'd been expecting.

Suddenly, however, her smile faded and she shouted, "Naruto! Watch out!"

Naruto jumped to the side as a giant white lion smashed into the ground where the blond had stood moments ago. Spidery cracks spread out from beneath the beast's huge limbs as the force of the feline's landing split apart the earth. The lion turned its enormous head to Naruto and its lifeless eyes burned into him as it pawed at the dirt.

Just as the creature let out a vicious roar, Naruto slammed his fist into the side of the beast's head. Cold black ink splattered outward as the big cat vanished. Another lion jumped over the roof of a building and snapped his menacing jaws at those below. The lion's tail swished from side to side just before it launched itself off of the roof.

Ino's foot, however, collided with the creature's head and it exploded into black ink. The female ninja pointed in a specific direction with conviction, "He's over there."

"Who?" Naruto asked as he looked where she indicated.

The blond male squinted and saw a figure perched on a rooftop in the distance. As his eyes adjusted, Naruto noted the Leaf Village symbol on the mysterious boy's headband. "I haven't seen him around before. Have you?"

"I haven't either," Ino replied as her eyes honed in on the unknown ninja. "He attacked in a public area though. We should capture and question him."

"Got it!" Naruto shouted, already plowing ahead towards the boy.

Even though Naruto drew near, the mysterious boy didn't move. He didn't even flinch. The ninja simply sat on the roof with a scroll on his lap and a brush in his hand.

Several lion heads erupted from the boy's scroll and roared in unison before lunging at Naruto. The blond slid to a halt and stared up into the faces of the beasts. _Who the hell is this guy?_

"Naruto, just go after _him_! I'll take care of the lions!" Ino yelled from behind.

Naruto bobbed his head in compliance and pressed on. As if called by Ino's shout, three lions roared into the air and leapt at Naruto as they gnashed their teeth. Before they reached their target, however, several gleaming kunai sliced the lions in half and the creatures burst apart in explosions of dark liquid.

"Way to go, Ino!" Naruto called as he leapt up onto the rooftop.

Naruto whipped out a kunai and lunged at the boy. The unknown ninja was quick; he yanked the sword free from the sheath on his back and blocked Naruto's kunai. Being this close, Naruto got a good look at the Ninja before him. He was about Naruto's age with black hair and unnaturally pale skin. His eyes were blank and his black clothes were ridiculous.

"Who are you?" Naruto growled.

The boy offered up a bright smile. "You're pretty weak. Are you sure you have any balls with this kind of skill?"

"W-What? You little bastard!" Naruto snarled.

The blond twisted his wrist and in one quick movement, he'd disarmed the mystery ninja. The rude black-haired boy jumped back just as Ino came flying by with her fist outstretched.

"We'll see each other again, Naruto," the boy insisted as a swirl of black whisked down from nowhere and engulfed him.

"Hold it!" Naruto gnashed his teeth.

The boy simply smiled before vanishing.

••••••••

Rough hands yanked her off of the floor and out of a deep, nightmare-infested sleep. Sakura stared past the blur in her tired eyes and up into the beady gaze of the shark man, Kisame Hoshigaki. "Good morning, princess," he rumbled.

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she looked past the blue-skinned man to see the man she'd made a distressing pact with. Itachi leaned calmly against the door frame of her cell, his arms folded casually across his chest and his eyes closed peacefully.

Kisame roughly tossed her through the doorway with enough force to make her slam against the wall outside of her prison cell. "Get moving," he ordered.

She tripped over her feet but the blue-skinned man held onto her with an iron grip so she didn't fall. Itachi pushed himself from the wall and walked beside her. With Kisame on her right and Itachi on her left, Sakura felt helpless and small. Both men were taller and stronger than her. She bowed her head as she wished—for the millionth time—that she was stronger.

The Akatsuki men guided her through an open doorway and into an enormous room. Kisame's solid hand cracked down on Sakura's shoulder, causing her to drop painfully to her knees. "Be nice," the blue-skinned man hissed under his breath with his eyes directed forward.

Itachi came up beside her and calmly stared forward as well. Sakura grimaced as she shifted her body to get in a more comfortable position and completely ignored the tiny bit of comfort that leaked into her from the Uchiha's presence.

A throat cleared and Sakura's head snapped up. Her eyes struggled to see the person sitting in the shadows before her. She roughly shoved her hands through her grimy hair to get an unrestrained view of the mysterious figure. She could make out the blurred outline of a tall, thin man who was casually seated in a high-backed chair.

Once he had her attention, the man bent forward to rest his elbows on his knees and a thin strip of light from a tucked away window unveiled part of his face. His skin was pale and unblemished except for the silver gleaming studs along the edge of his nose. One of his eyes was visible now and Sakura shuddered involuntarily. She blinked several times, fearing that her bleary eyes were playing tricks on her.

"Sakura Haruno"—her named seemed foreign when spoken by this shadowed man—"I was told you wanted to say something."

When she did not reply, Kisame struck her back and sent searing pain both up and down her spine. The girl let her pent-up breath escape slowly through her nose and her lips skewed in a tight line. The man before her, she assumed, was the leader of the Akatsuki. Itachi had warned her that she'd be meeting the mastermind behind the terrorist organization.

"What is it exactly that Akatsuki does?" Sakura asked.

The pinkette felt Itachi's hot gaze boring into her even with her eyes still on the Akatsuki leader before her. This was not part of her and Itachi's plan. When brought to the Akatuski leader, she was supposed to pledge allegiance immediately. If she was asked why she wanted to join, Sakura was to simply state that she had no interest in being a part of a corrupt village. Don't fight. Don't argue. Don't panic; that was the plan.

And she had already deviated from it.

"Is this what you wished to say?" the unnamed man inquired as his head tilted slightly to the side. The tilt brought the man's mouth into the light.

"No." Sakura's heart thrummed loudly in her ears. "But this is leading up to it."

"Very well," he replied easily. Sakura was shocked by his lack of resistance.

"To pursue peace in all nations – that is our goal," the Akatsuki leader declared.

Sakura allowed her head to bow as she feigned concentration. She wasn't actually considering what the man had said because it was ludicrous. But she had to fake an interest in the man's insane goal to make Itachi's "life-saving" plan work. When she lifted her head, her eyes were filled with resolve. "Then I wish to join you."

Sakura didn't have to look at Itachi to feel his tension subside; they were back on the right track.

"Do you know what you are asking?" the man's voice dripped with unexpected trepidation.

Stunned by his response, Sakura fumbled for the right words, "Of course I do."

The man's mouth twitched, unconvinced, and he slumped back into shadow. "Take her back to her cell and return here when done. We will see what the others have to say on this matter."

Sakura visibly flinched away from Itachi's touch when he reached down to help her up. The Uchiha paused. He looked unfazed by the rejection but the atmosphere read differently. Kisame rolled his eyes and seized Sakura's upper arm. The rough shark man hauled her to her feet. "I don't have all day," he snapped gruffly.

"Kisame, clothe the girl," the leader ordered. "There is no need to hurry back for the deliberation. I trust you don't care much either way on this matter."

"You know me so well," Kisame grinned showing all of his sharp teeth in such a broad smile. "Let's go, princess."

••••••••

Hidan tapped a finger against the table lazily, hating these types of meetings. "It's suspicious to say the least."

"Why are we even discussing this?" Deidara growled, annoyance radiating from the young man as he sat in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "We already have ten members. And a Tobi."

The energetic man burst up from his seat at the mention of his name. "Thank you, Deidara! For mentioning me!"

"Shut. Up!" the blond snarled, his anger escalating at the sound of Tobi's voice.

"Enough," Leader rumbled, his voice low. "We are not discussing whether she can become a _sincere_ member. That is not in question. What we are discussing is whether she could be a valuable asset."

"Valuable, yes," Kakuzu pipped up. "The ransom for her will be hefty."

"That could be useful," Leader agreed.

Hidan's broad grin vanished as Kakuzu replied seriously, "Money is always useful."

"All you ever consider is money." Hidan hissed, prepared to go on a vicious rant.

However, Itachi cut him off. "She was trained by Tsunade."

All eyes turned to the stoic man as they considered what he had said.

"Did she complete her training?" Leader stared searchingly into the Uchiha's bloody gaze.

"No," Itachi answered honestly.

"Then what the hell do we want her for?!" Deidara snapped. "Seriously?!"

Hidan shrugged his shoulders. "She's an untrained mess and, up until her capture, she was loyal to her village. There's no use for her."

"Except the money," Kakuzu pushed.

Hidan's head jerked to the side so he could glare daggers at his partner but remained silent.

"Loyalties aren't set in stone," Konan whispered, her soft voice fanning out smoothly so all could hear her.

"What are the girl's abilities?" Leader asked as he waved a hand to dismiss the topic of loyalty for the moment.

"Strength," Hidan grimaced. "Her punches hurt like fuck."

"I thought you enjoyed pain," Deidara hissed.

Hidan's jaw twitched and he opened his mouth to throw a slew of curses Deidara's way when Kakuzu calmly stated, "Not when others aren't feeling it as well. He's more like a sharing masochist."

Deidara grimaced. "How thoughtful."

"She can also heal," Kakuzu added, bringing the conversation back to Leader.

"Yeah, she has some stupid healing powers." Hidan rolled his eyes. "So what?"

Leader's interest piqued. "What did you say?"

The room grew quiet as all eyes turned to the Leader who explained simply, "Our numbers are strong now, but healing is never a disadvantage."

"Unless she stabs one of us in the back," Deidara retorted. "Anyone you pair her with would have to constantly be on guard."

Leader pondered this new information, his mind circling around the idea carefully before pouncing. "We will accept her."

"Are you fucking serious!?" Hidan shrieked.

Leader completely ignored Hidan's outburst much to the man's annoyance. "Kakuzu, which mission will you take on?"

"Which one involves money?" Kakuzu asked by way of answering.

Leader nodded, allowing the ransom mission to fall to Kakuzu. "Deidara. Sasori. She will go with you to capture the Kazekage."

"You've got to be kidding me!?" Deidara howled slamming his hands down on the table.

"Deidara," Sasori warned.

The blond man ignored him. "Why the hell should we take her?"

Hidan smirked, pleased to see the younger member so angered. "Watch out for knives, Deidara-_chan_."

Leader spoke up before Deidara could strangle Hidan, "The decision has been made."

"Why can't we just kill her?! Why do we have to take her at all!?" Deidara argued loudly.

"Because she's useful," Hidan sneered, uncrossing his arms as a dark shadow moved over his jovial face; he clearly didn't agree with the statement.

Deidara snorted with obvious disbelief and his blue eyes rolled in their sockets. He was about to complain more but Leader held up a hand and called for silence.

"Leader–" the pissed off artist grimaced quickly realizing that arguing any further was futile. "Fine."

"If you want..." The room fell silent as Itachi's calm voice echoed in the small chamber. "You can kill her whenever it pleases you."

Deidara grinned sadistically and a small sound reverberated in the back of his throat. "Watch your words, Itachi. I might take you up on that offer."

••••••••

A round bath was a mere six feet from where she stood with steaming green water.

Kisame tilted his head when Sakura didn't move. "Do you know how to use a bath?" he asked mockingly.

"Of course!" A bright blush invaded the girl's pale cheeks.

Kisame released her bruised flesh, "You have twenty minutes. Any longer than that and I'll come in to get you."

He easily undid the rough rope around Sakura's hands and the thick bonds slipped to the floor harmlessly. The girl gently caressed her raw wrists as Kisame closed the door behind him without another word. She clutched at her chest with both hands and turned to glance at the bath. She took several cautious steps towards the old-fashioned bath before timidly slipping her hand deep into the murky water.

It was warm, _very_ warm.

Sakura carefully shrugged off her clothes and sank graciously beneath the water's surface, unable to suppress the sigh that passed between her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed and she tilted back her head. The water, she realized, was filled with all sorts of medicine that already seemed to be working to restore her chakra.

After a few seconds of sitting in the comforting water, she sank lower into it until her nose hovered just above the surface. Her body relished in the warmth that now consumed her and she felt the heat ease away the tension that had built up in her body. Sakura carefully moved her limbs under the water to check for any serious damage that she could heal now that some of her strength—and chakra—were coming back to her.

Everything seemed fine – no broken bones or torn ligaments. She was just bruised, battered, and frozen.

She felt herself sinking into unconsciousness and her body launched into action. She flung herself up from the water's soothing depths, slipped, and almost hit her head on the edge of the bath. However, she twisted her body at the last minute so her chest received the brunt of the damage. _Twenty minutes are all I have. I can't waste those on sleeping_, she chided herself.

While Sakura hated the fact that she was obeying orders from Kisame, she knew that being stubborn would not get her out of this situation – well, not_ alive_ anyways. Plus, the idea of the shark man coming in to get her made Sakura's skin crawl with disgust. She looked around to find the soap, which was turned into a difficult task with the thick steam that flooded the room.

She finally found a bar of soap and snatched it up. She quickly scrubbed away the grime on her body from head to toe. Then she ran the shampoo she found through her pink hair and massaged her aching head with her fingers. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath before plunging into the hot water.

Underwater, she ran her fingers through her hair to rid it of the excess soap and came back up panting softly. She stood in the soapy water and looked for a towel. Sakura strained her eyes and found one on the floor only a few feet away. The folded cloth sat next to a black-cloaked woman. Startled, Sakura tried to step back but her thigh hit the edge of the bath and the force sent her sprawling. The fall knocked the wind out of her. As she tried to regain her composure, the woman stood up and walked past her and dropped the large towel on Sakura's head silently.

Sakura removed the towel to get a good look at the mysterious woman. The woman's blue hair was cropped short and her amber eyes, which were accented by lavender eye shadow, were unusually deadpan. A simple metal ball pierced the woman's flesh just below the center of her bottom lip.

The Akatsuki ring rested on the woman's right middle finger.

She reached down to pick something up and Sakura instinctively flinched. The woman seemed unfazed by Sakura's reaction and calmly held out a bundle to the pinkette. "I came to see the girl everyone was talking about," the woman stated indifferently. "Now that I have, I will leave."

Sakura reached out and accepted the bundle without speaking. The woman shimmered out of existence as if she were no more than a figment of Sakura's imagination. Sakura glanced down at the bundle in her hands; the woman had given Sakura a neatly folded outfit. Deciding that her bathing adventure was over, the pink-haired girl climbed out of the tub and began to dry herself. She winced as her hands brushed over her ribcage, which had been badly damaged in this little escapade.

Finally dry, she examined the clothes and held them up individually to give them a once over; both the shirt and pants were black. Grateful for the clothing despite their lack of color, Sakura slipped them on to protect her against the creeping cold. The shirt was a little big on her—specifically the chest area—but, otherwise, the clothes were a decent fit. Barefoot, she stepped outside of the bathroom while towel-drying her hair. Sakura yelped and stumbled back as she bumped into solid muscle. She removed the towel from her head and swallowed hard. She stared up at the red-eyed, raven-haired, pale-skinned killer and felt her muscles tense. Would he reprimand her for earlier?

He stared back at her impassively. His red and black Akatsuki robe was nowhere to be seen and Sakura could see the criminal's slender body much better through his simple short-sleeved shirt.

Choosing this exact moment to be heard, Sakura's stomach roared and a pink blush flooded the girl's face. Itachi gently took her elbow and the shock of his warm skin against hers prompted Sakura to drop the towel at her feet.

••••••••

Konan fiddled with the sleeve of her robe as she recounted the last few minutes. The pink-haired girl Konan had just met was skin and bones; was she really the one everyone was talking about? It seemed impossible that such a frail girl could have survived Sasori's torture.

Konan had become so accustomed to Nagato's battle for breath that when she could not hear the strained wheezing sound as she approached the man's door, an icy chill spread in her heart. She thrust open the simple wooden door and called out to her friend.

Her violet eyes lingered on the figure in the middle of the room – a man bound to a hissing machine. Dim light from the room cast severe shadows on her haunted and hallowed friend. Nagato's pale flesh clung harshly to his bones, giving him the appearance of a terrifying skeleton. He lifted his head with obvious difficulty. His swirled purple gaze met Konan's and the smallest light of pleasure lit in his haggard face.

Konan, enormously relieved, sagged against the doorway and resisted the urge to press a hand over her heart. "You seem better."

As if her words had broken the spell, Nagato fell into a coughing fit that shook his fragile body. Konan slid into the room, sealing the door behind her. The room was devoid of furniture; Nagato didn't need much. "You should be saving your strength."

Nagato didn't answer; he simply pierced her with this deadpan stare that sent a shudder through the woman's body. Konan straightened her back, carefully choosing her next words. "Have you spoken to Itachi?"

Nagato's head lowered and a pain-filled groan escaped from his lips. "Yes. I have."

Konan unclasped her robe, letting the heavy garment fall to the floor with a dull _thud_. Her light footfalls resounded loudly in the small room.

"You don't seem to agree with my decision. Do you think there is no need for the girl?" Nagato asked, his strange eyes following Konan's every move.

"I do not. But there is a need for Itachi," Konan offered calmly, her focus locked on the disheveled man before her. "He's never asked for anything nor has he given you much resistance or heart ache. He asked for this meeting. I do not know why, but rejecting her might incur the Uchiha's wrath."

Nagato's persistent gaze faltered as Konan stopped directly in front of him and he looked off to the side. "That does not bother me."

The woman lifted one milk-white hand to Nagato's face, lightly touching the skeletal man's hollowed cheek, making him flinch. "Are you worried about her loyalty?"

Nagato relaxed into Konan's soft touch, pressing his cheek into the curve of her palm. "I sent her with Deidara and Sasori for a reason. Itachi informed me that the girl had a personal attachment to the Kazekage. If she can carry out the mission, I do not believe we need to worry about her loyalty."

"But you are not entirely convinced," Konan replied bluntly.

Nagato's shoulders trembled as he fought to suck in a deep breath. "No. Not entirely. Even still, she may not be telling the truth. I don't have time to focus on testing her loyalties, however, but I can't afford to aggravate Itachi when he is still needed. I need someone to be in charge of the girl."

Konan remained silent as she waited for her friend to explain.

"There's no one I trust as much as you, Konan," he whispered.

Nagato's unusually sentimental words shocked the woman. She pressed her lips into a firm line as Nagato's eyes stared into hers searchingly. "What will you have me do?" she whispered.

••••••••

Itachi turned around with a red bowl in his pale hands. "It's only broth but it should stop your hunger."

Steam floated up and over the rim and Sakura's stomach immediately reacted – screeching as if it were a beached whale. She placed a hand over her torso as if to silence the embarrassing sound. Itachi paid no attention, however, and dispassionately handed over the bowl. She went to take the bowl and her fingers brushed over Itachi's. Surprised by the warm flesh there, she pressed her hands against his with more force. She shuddered as she felt the cold metal of his ring against her palm. Itachi retracted his hand and waved over to the doorway of the kitchen, "I would like to tell you what to expect on your upcoming mission."

Sakura nodded mechanically. Truthfully, she was beyond nervous and bordering on having an anxiety attack. The tension had returned to her body even after her nice bath. She didn't know what to expect from her "partners". She almost wished she could beg to go with Itachi and Kisame. It wasn't necessarily a great option but it was more appealing than going with complete strangers. She hated her dependency on Itachi but had no other choice at the moment.

She walked beside the Uchiha as he opened the door and led her outside. The pinkette cupped the bowl as if it were a precious jewel and the heat from the broth immediately warmed her hands. Itachi stopped on a hilltop and Sakura gazed out at the land below. The hill wasn't steep but it stretched out a good distance. The thick grass was peppered with wild flowers and lined with trees. Overhead, the full moon was partially hidden behind thick clouds.

Sakura plopped down into the grass, careful not to spill her meal. Itachi followed suit and Sakura squirmed uncomfortably. She didn't like how close they were sitting or how casual he was acting. Well, he wasn't exactly being casual by normal standards. His back was straight and his legs were crossed but he didn't look as terrifying. Finally, he shattered the peaceful silence, "Do you know what happens when a Tailed-Beast is extracted from a Jinchuriki?"

"No," Sakura answered honestly.

She didn't know much about Tailed-Beasts in general. She knew there were ten and that they were sealed inside ninja—Tsunade had told her that much—but she didn't know anything beyond that.

She lowered her eyes to the contents of her bowl; the broth inside was fresh and homemade. She attempted to keep her expression unchanged even though ravenous hunger and elation washed over her with tremendous strength. She brought the bowl to her lips and gently tipped it back. However, before any of the contents could spill into her mouth, Itachi brought the bowl level again. Sakura stared at him with confusion rampant in her expression.

He satisfied her questions with a quiet statement, "It's hot."

Embarrassed, Sakura stubbornly tilted the bowl again and spilled the burning broth into her mouth. She clamped her mouth closed and swallowed the scalding contents painfully.

She boldly looked Itachi in the eye just in time to see a light vanish from within the bloody orbs. Her jaw nearly dropped. It had only been a split second, but she was sure she'd seen laughter in those haunting eyes.

He adverted his gaze and tilted his head back so he could look at the moon. His eyebrows furrowed the slightest with a flicker of emotion that looked like frustration. He gave up on the sky and turned his attention back to her, "You're going to want to stop what you see tomorrow. You _will_ be sick. You _will_ be scared. You _will_ be angry."

Sakura stomach clenched as she listened and, suddenly, the broth didn't look appetizing anymore.

Itachi moved on as if he hadn't noticed her discomfort, "Don't cry. Don't cause problems. Don't lift a finger to help anyone. Stay out of everyone's way."

"I know," Sakura jerked her head to the side defiantly.

"You don't," Itachi insisted. "When a Tailed-Beast is taken from its human vessel, the vessel dies."

"S-So...tomorrow..." Sakura's voice quivered as his words sunk it.

"Tomorrow you're going to kill someone," Itachi finished. "Do you know anything about your partners?"

Sakura shook her head. "I know their names."

Itachi nodded as if that were all she was supposed to know. In a way, Sakura's ignorance meant that Akatsuki was doing their job properly and working effectively in the shadows.

"Deidara talks a lot but Sasori is the one you need to worry about offending," Itachi informed.

"Akatsuki members offend each other all the time," Sakura argued meekly.

"Don't misunderstand. They harass each other but their respect runs deep."

Sakura, as she had done since the moment she agreed to the deal with the Devil, began to doubt her ability to take on such a nerve-wracking mission. Could she physically do it? She wasn't trained to be a double agent or a spy. Ninja dabbled in many arts but every person had different strengths and weaknesses in training and Sakura was _not_ a master of evasion. What about emotionally? Could she watch someone innocent die and not do anything? The whole reason she became a ninja was to protect. She wasn't sure she was ready or willing for this mission. It didn't matter though. She had no choice.

"How do I stay on this Sasori guy's good side?" she whispered dejectedly.

"Always be quick about his orders and punctual."

"And what about Deidara? How do I not upset him?"

Itachi hesitated before saying, "Just worry about Sasori. You should finish your broth before it gets cold."

Sakura really didn't want to but she knew her body needed nutrients so she tipped back the bowl and drank the broth. When she was done, she saw Itachi watching her. She wanted to rudely ask what the hell he was looking at but knew saying that to Itachi Uchiha would probably get her slaughtered.

The dark-haired ninja rose up and offered Sakura his hand. She stared at it before putting her bowl into his palm and climbing to her feet by herself. Instead of offending or angering the Uchiha, Sakura seemed to have amused him. He moved ahead and led her back inside. He placed the bowl in an empty sink and Sakura found herself wondering which of the Akatsuki had dish-duty.

Itachi gently took her by the elbow and guided her down a side hallway. They passed several doors until they reached the end of the hall. The raven-haired man placed a hand on the surface of the wooden door and pushed it open wide to reveal the room's insides. It wasn't spectacular but it was more than she'd expected and much better than her cell. Inside, a simple yet comfortable-looking futon was spread out in the center and a desk was pushed into a corner. Oddly enough, all of the belongings she'd arrived with rested neatly on the top of the desk. Not even her weapons had been confiscated.

The soft clink of metal made Sakura turn her head away from what was to be her new bedroom. She watched as Itachi held out something to her. A pink slip of fabric spilled over the Uchiha's palm and Sakura held her breath; it was her Leaf Village head band. She held out a timid hand to grasp it but before her fingertips could even brush the surface of the headband, Itachi pulled it out of reach. Confused, Sakura looked up at him as a painful lump formed in her throat.

The message was clear in his eyes.

Her lips parted and a plea formed on her lips. She held back all of her words and instead held her hand out for the head band. Itachi read the resolve in her eyes and placed the object in her palm. Sakura nearly dropped it as the cool metal hit her skin. The feel of the fabric brought tears to her eyes.

"You leave tomorrow," Itachi informed, his gaze steady.

Sakura, much to her frustration, was becoming accustomed to the hidden messages behind Itachi's words and bowed her head, "I'll do it by then."

A hand dropped gently onto the top of her head and Sakura's gaze flitted up to Itachi's impassive face.

"You need rest," he stated simply. "Sleep well. Tomorrow won't be easy."

Itachi's figure shuddered before vanishing completely.

Alone now, Sakura slipped into her room and closed the door carefully. She pressed her back to the wooden surface, held her breath, and counted to three; she waited with trepidation for someone to burst in and harass her. When she reached three, she sagged against the door heavily as her heart thumped painfully in her chest.

Finally remembering the task at hand, Sakura slid slowly down the door to the ground as dread sunk in her stomach. She folded her arms over bent knees and tilted her head back. _What in the world have I gotten myself into...?_

She flipped the head band over in her hand so the Leaf village symbol peered up at her. She stared down at it as she passed her thumb over the etched-in symbol. She'd worked so hard for this little sign of recognition. It was her proof that she was a member of the great Village Hidden in the Leaves. It symbolized her home, her family, her ancestors, her friends – everything she loved. It gave her pride to wear something she saw as so beautiful and, truth be told, it was her last physical link to home. Now the Akatsuki were going to take that away too; they had already taken her freedom and individuality. What more did they want? Sakura glanced away as she tightened her grip on the inanimate object.

Itachi's voice played in her head unannounced, _Are you going to let a symbol stand in the way of your village?_

Sudden anger sparked in her chest and she tossed the metal down. It clanked noisily as it tumbled over itself before coming to a stop face up. She rose to her feet and burning anger fanned out from her small frame as she scanned the room for something sharp. She glanced at the kunai resting on the nightstand and yanked the weapon off of the wooden surface. Seething anger bubbled within her veins as she clutched it desperately in both hands and dropped to her knees before her head band. _If you want to take it from me, fine. Have it!_

She was tired of having her loyalty questioned even though it was questionable. She was tired of wondering if what she was doing was right. Right or wrong, she'd chosen this path and there was no going back. Sakura pressed the tip of the kunai against the smooth metal. Her eyes flashed before hot, angry, frustrated, and sad tears spilled down her face and dropped down onto the metal below. She raked the weapon against her head band and released all of her pent-up feelings as she did so. The moment the sharp tip passed over her village symbol, she felt a numbness begin in her chest. When it was done, she dumped the kunai to the floor and scooped up her damaged head band with trembling hands.

"There," she said to no one in particular.

That single word was the final signature on her contract with the Devil. Now there truly was no turning back.

* * *

**This was such a pain in the ass to edit but I hope you guys enjoy**

**Rate, Review, whatever you like :)**

_- Anii_


	3. Chapter 3

**For those of you who know Tobi's TRUE identity, I want to apologize if I cause confusion.**

**It's believed that Itachi didn't know Tobi was NOT actually Madara.**

**So, when Itachi thinks of Tobi, he's going to call him "Madara"**

**I know who Tobi really is.**

**But it appears Itachi didn't.**

**Sorry for the confusion.**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 3: "I'm not quite human and I'm not quite machine so I guess that leaves you staring at something that's somewhere in-between"**

_**— Animal by The Cab**_

Itachi pressed his fingertips to the door but paused before opening it and listened. No sounds came from on the other side so the stoic man pushed open the simple wooden door. However, before it opened fully, it caught on something soft. Confused by this, Itachi glanced down to find Sakura sleeping on the floor. She was curled up on her side, using one arm as a tiny pillow for her head, and her short pink hair hung in her face. Carefully, Itachi maneuvered his way through the door and around the slumbering pinkette.

He gently placed the Akatsuki essentials on the girl's ignored bed and turned to leave. However, as his feet moved across the floor, his shoe struck something solid. He strained his blurry eyes to make out the metallic gleam of a head band. Itachi knelt down to retrieve the item and felt a swell of mixed emotions stir in his chest. The girl's head band had a deep gash across its previously smooth surface. Itachi was both impressed and disappointed. He couldn't believe she'd actually done as he asked. To a defected ninja, the head band symbolized their disentanglement from their respective homes. But to a truly loyal ninja, the scar was a heavy burden to bear and a hard task to go through with.

When Itachi's gaze flitted to the girl's face - impassive as she slept - he could clearly imagine the tear trails down her face.

He stared down at the head band in his palm as he wondered if this was the right path for the young kunoichi. This had been the only way he could keep her from dying but did that make it right? Was his own selfish fear of quenching her Will tossing a poor child into misery? He gripped the head band tightly as he pursed his lips. Doubt easily crept into his thoughts.

"Did she run away already?"

Itachi's spine went rigid as he lifted his eyes from the head band. Madara stood outside of Sakura's room in the hallway with his orange mask covering his face entirely.

Madara's tone was mocking, "She doesn't look like someone who would willingly join the Akatsuki. It's odd."

Instead of replying, Itachi tossed the head band on the girl's bed and left the room, closing the door behind him as he cast a severe glance his ancestor's way.

••••••••

Sakura felt her mind slowly rise up out of unconsciousness and a cold chill brushed up her body. She unfurled her body and groaned as she stretched her awakening muscles. She lifted her head from her makeshift pillow and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She scanned the unfamiliar room with mild confusion until she recalled where exactly she was. Sakura moved towards a bundle that hadn't been in the room before she fell asleep. She removed the large straw hat from the top of the bundle but immediately cringed when she caught sight of the red cloud on black fabric - the Akatsuki robe.

The pinkette's eyes darted around the room searchingly and landed on a cheap mirror. She hobbled over to the object with the robe awkwardly held against her body and looked into the mirror's stained surface. She couldn't completely comprehend that the person on the other side was just her reflection. Sakura stared into her own eyes which seemed duller than she remembered. Her hair had lost its sheen and the robe practically engulfed her small frame. Her cheekbones jutted out against her skin and she had dark semi-circles under her eyes. She reached out a hand timidly and pressed her fingers to the cool surface; the reflection copied the movement.

Footsteps in the hallways made reality crash down around the girl as she recalled Itachi telling her about Sasori's love for punctuality. She hurried dressed herself in the Aktsuki garb and scrambled to find her scarred head band. Once she had the metal in her hand, she bowed her head as she tied the head band securely at the base of her neck. She reached over for her straw hat without taking her eyes off of her reflection.

Her door opened. "Come on, princess! Let's go!" a voice hollered as a silver-haired man barged through the doorway.

She numbly donned the hat and turned her back to the mirror. "Alright"—her voice cracked—"Let's go."

••••••••

Deidara crossed and uncrossed his legs as his aggravation grew to an insurmountable height. Beside him, Sasori grumbled lowly, "Where the hell are they?!"

Just then, Hidan's voice could be heard from the hallway. Deidara leapt up, stormed over to the door, and threw it open. "Where you taking a freaking nap, Hidan!?"

Hidan's violet eyes blazed with insult. "Shut the hell up. I wasn't brought on to be some bitch's handler."

He turned to the new girl and pointed a finger in Deidara's direction. "That stupid one there is Deidara. The short and fat one is Sasori. Have a nice trip." The silver-tongued bastard shoved the girl straight into Deidara.

The pink-haired weakling stumbled away immediately from the artist without meeting his gaze. The girl seemed so fragile that a strong blast of wind might carry her off. _And she's the one who's supposed to save me if I'm dying. Great..._

Deidara rolled his eyes and felt an overwhelming desire to bash his head against the door frame in frustration. Instead, he moved out into the hallway. "Let's get going. I could use a good fight."

••••••••

Strong gusts of wind whipped by, carrying away loose grains of sand. Sakura shrunk inside of the large robe, using the high collar to protect her from most of the harsh winds. The bells hanging from their straw hats tinkled merrily every time the wind jostled them – a deceiving sound that masked the danger surrounding the group.

"Why are we stuck with her?" the blond member of the group grumbled. He clearly wasn't happy about having a tag along.

The gruff reply came from the short man, "Shut up, Deidara. We're here."

Sakura's blood turned to ice. She knew that voice; it belonged to the man who had tortured her. She didn't have to look beneath his hat to be sure. Sakura recalled Itachi's warning about Sasori and the pink-haired girl's unease skyrocketed.

_Sasori. _Sakura mulled over the name and cast a quick glance at the short man.

She brought her gaze forward and met the towering walls of the Sand Village. Nausea washed over her as her brain fumbled to put the pieces together. The Akatsuki were after Jinchuriki. The Sand Village only had one Jinchuriki – Gaara. An icy dread formed in the pit of her stomach as she gaped up at the long, narrow slit in the jagged blockade – the only form of entrance into the village. She hadn't even been okay with killing an innocent person when she had assumed they would be strangers. Now she was in full-panic mode as she realized that she would be killing someone she considered a friend.

The stunned girl's two male companions moved into the entry way without hesitation and Sakura stumbled after them wondering what the hell they were doing; ninja didn't walk in through the front door. Were they really just going to walk in and take over the place? Did they think the Sand ninja were that incompetent?

Sakura's indignation died as the scent of blood assaulted her and she choked down a scream. Bodies were strewn across the ground in ghastly heaps of mangled flesh. A lone man stood amidst the chaos. There was something disturbing about his expression; his eyes were wild and his cruel smile was unsure.

"Good work," the short Akatsuki member cooed in his gravelly voice. "Do you remember me?"

The strange expression fled the Sand ninja's. "Of course I do, Lord Sasori."

"Of course he does," Deidara repeated. "It wouldn't be much of a Jutsu if he didn't."

The unknown man dropped down onto one knee and bowed his head humbly to Sasori quickly before rising back up. The Sand ninja expertly guided them through the entry way. As if knowing that she would flee, Deidara grabbed her wrist and forced her to follow them. The majority of the blond's face was hidden in shadow - courteous of his straw hat - and his long hair swayed from side to side with each step he took. Sakura shuddered as she felt something wet tickle the skin along her wrist.

Slowly, the village came into view; tan buildings the color of sand towered high into the blue sky, oblivious to the imminent danger approaching. The group stopped on a ledge and Deidara held out his hand, palm up. A pink tongue wiggled in the air and Sakura swallowed hard as she recalled the wet feeling on her wrist. She supressed a gag as she heard sloppy, wet chewing sounds come from the mouth on Dediara's hand and the skin of the blond's hand parted as the mouth spit out a white blob.

Deidara's fingers folded over the mess and pressed down firmly. He splayed out his fingers and revealed a perfectly formed white bird. He tossed the little bird to the ground and directed his words at his vertically challenged companion, "Sasori, my good man, you watch from here and"—icy blue eyes turned on Sakura—"watch her as well."

Sasori simply grunted.

Deidara released Sakura's wrist to make a simple hand sign and a cloud of smoke burst out from the tiny bird sculpture resting on the ground. When the smoke cleared, an enlarged version of the bird stood before them with its wings spread wide. It lifted its massive head and patiently awaited its master's orders. Deidara promptly leapt up onto the bird's white back and tugged off his straw hat as he spoke, "I'll attack the village from above."

He turned back to look at Sasori. "What do you think of this artistic form?"

"Don't make me wait too long, Deidara," the grumpy man warned, ignoring Deidara's bragging.

Deidara grinned gleefully. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The white bird tossed up its wings and took off, creating a flurry of dust as it sprang into the air.

••••••••

Hours had passed since the sun sunk below the horizon but Sakura hadn't shut her eyes even for a moment. It was impossible to sleep with the constant booms of battle ringing in the air.

"That bastard," Sasori growled, his voice edged with annoyance.

Sitting with the grumpy man was awkward to say the least. Sasori had been the one who had relentlessly tortured Sakura for three nights. The man hardly ever moved but that didn't ease Sakura's paranoia. Itachi's warning seemed obvious now. The bulky man's deep voice and grumpy demeanor had lead Sakura to believe that he would be rather loud and fly off the handle when provoked. She thought he would bring out a scalpel at any moment to cut her to pieces with. However, he never spoke to her nor did he look at her. It was as if she didn't exist.

A white dot appeared in the dark sky and Sakura's heart plummeted. The nearer Deidara grew, the more Sakura fell into despair.

_No. _She told herself. _Don't give up just yet. Maybe Deidara retreated._

Her hope shattered, however, when she spotted Gaara curled up in the beast's tail feathers.

"My mission is accomplished," Deidara stated as the bird gently landed.

"You're late," Sasori snapped. "I told you not to keep me waiting!"

Too fast for Sakura's eyes to follow, something swung out from beneath Sasori's robes and nearly lopped off Deidara's head.

"Cut me some slack," the blond argued, a bullet of sweat trickling down the side of his face. "This guy was tougher than I thought."

Sakura had managed to sneak inconspicuously towards Gaara. Her heart pounded as she kept her eyes on her arguing companions for the opportune moment to check on her friend. When the moment came, she seized it and glanced down at Gaara. Sand dribbled from the fine cracks along Gaara's pale skin but, other than that, he only seemed unconscious.

"Hey!" Sakura's back went ramrod straight as Deidara noticed her. "What are you doing?"

"I told you to be prepared!" Sasori raged, not letting the blond off of the hook.

Deidara shrunk back. "Well how about things over here?"

"Everything is prepared!" Sasori huffed angrily. "I had plenty of time you see. Not that she was much help."

Sakura flinched, this was the first time Sasori had even acknowledged her existence and, of course, it was only to reprimand her.

Deidara cast a glance over his shoulder. "If everything is ready, then let's get out of here."

He cast Sakura a severe glance and yanked her up onto the back of the bird. "Don't move," he ordered.

The moment he hopped off of it, the bird lifted itself off of the ground and hovered just a few feet above the sandy ground. Deidara replaced the hat on top of his head and Sakura cried out as the bird flapped its giant wings to stay aloft. Being on the back of a bird in flight was a strange and terrifying experience. Sakura's leg muscles were already cramping from holding on so tightly. She almost felt the need to apologize to the bird but it seemed devoid of emotion altogether.

A sudden eruption of sound startled the pinkette and she turned to see a fiery blast diminishing back into nothingness. Deidara chuckled to himself. "A fitting parting gift, if you ask me."

••••••••

The sun peeked above the horizon, bringing a soft morning glow to the desert. Sakura stared ahead with blurry eyes; she hadn't slept for more than a few moments at a time.

Below her, Sasori halted and his puzzled companion turned to him. "What is it, Sasori?" Deidara asked.

"I never thought someone would have followed us," the gruff man replied.

Sakura's body turned to ice as a familiar voice cried, "Hold it!"

Sakura turned around stiffly as her heart beat thundered in her ears and she met the angry gaze of Kankuro. She tucked her chin under the collar of her robe and prayed that her hat hid her face from Kakuro's sight. He didn't give her a second glance, however, as his gaze fell on his unconscious brother. Rage burned in his eyes and the enraged Sand ninja shouted, "You will return Gaara to me!"

Deidara's jaw clenched and he made a _'hmph'_ sound.

"Deidara, you go on ahead," Sasori ordered just before leaping out in front of Kankuro.

Sakura was startled by the bulky man's sudden speed. Sasori seemed perfectly content to just stare at the young ninja before him. In reality, he was doing the thing he hated the most: waiting.

"I'm not letting you leave with him." Kankuro knelt down, throwing out three scrolls and making the proper hand signs.

Clouds of smoke puffed up from each scroll as Kankuro called out their names, "Crow, Black Ant, Salamander!"

Sakura squirmed on the bird but Deidara's blue gaze halted her fidgeting. When she looked back at Kankuro, he was surrounded by three chattering puppets. "I'll say it again. You will give Gaara back to me!" Kankuro insisted.

"Puppet Master Jutsu, huh?" Sasori stated.

A smug smile appeared on Deidara's lips and he tipped back his head to let out an arrogant chuckle. The blond jumped on his bird's back and Sakura felt the creature shift beneath her as it prepared its body for a more rigorous flight. "I'm going ahead," Deidara called back to Sasori.

"You're not going anywhere!" Kankuro yelled, throwing out his hand.

His puppet, Crow, followed his command and moved to strike down Deidara's bird before it got very far. However, a silver tail shot out of Sasori's robe and caught Crow in mid-air, halting the puppet's advance.

"I don't like waiting and I don't like making people wait," Sasori informed as he pulled off his hat, revealing his previously hidden face. "I'll finish this right away."

"I remember now," Deidara blurted. "This Jinchuriki had some siblings and I'd heard that one of them used Puppets. This is probably that guy. What was his name? Kataro? Kanpachi?"

"It's Kankuro," Sakura whispered meekly.

Deidara glanced down at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever."

Kankuro yanked his hand back and Crow fell to pieces, slipping from the iron tail's grasp. Crow reassembled itself and jumped again at the white bird but Sasori's tail swatted it down into the ground.

"I'm telling you, I'm your opponent," Sasori insisted, the sharp tip of his tail wagging back and forth in front of his face. The bulky man glanced over his shoulder at Deidara, "And you, quit gawking and get out of here. You're in the way!"

"Alright," Deidara replied, clearly not offended by Sasori's harsh command. "I'll be going then."

"Hey! Wait!" Kakuro howled as he narrowly avoided being pierced by Sasori's tail. Sakura was so concerned with the battle, that she hadn't noticed the bird's muscles tense. The white beast surged up into the sky and Sakura pitched forward, nearly tumbling off of it. Deidara caught her, however, and hauled her back.

"Dumbass," he snapped, holding her firmly in place as Kankuro and Sasori diminished into tiny dots of black amongst a sea of tan.

The wind tore at their clothing and Sakura noticed Deidara's left sleeve. It was tattered and flapping in the wind considerably more than it should be. Her eyes widened a smidge when she realized that Deidara had lost his arm. It probably had happened in his fight with Gaara.

_Good. _Sakura thought vehemently. _Serves the bastard right._

••••••••

Naruto stared at his Hokage as his mind reeled from what she had just said. "The Sand Village..."

"It's been attacked." Tsunade stated gruffly with stern eyes. This situation and the fact that the Akatsuki had dared to go so far clearly pissed her off. She had zero tolerance for this bullshit. She placed her elbows on her desk and knit her fingers together.

"What would you have us do?" Kakashi asked standing beside his pupil.

Someone knocked on the door, "Excuse me?"

Tsunade rose up out of her chair. "Perfect timing. Come in."

The door opened and an abnormally pale boy stepped into the Hokage's room. He was of similar age to Naruto but the two differed vastly in looks. The boy had dark black air that hung neatly down to his ears and he had small black eyes which found Naruto and lit up with recognition. "Hello again, no balls." The boy smiled cheerfully.

Naruto's jaw practically hit the floor. "You!"

"You've met?" Tsunade asked as her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yeah, we met!" Naruto hissed. "He randomly picked a fight with me! This rude son of a—"

"Naruto!" Tsunade barked. "This is Sai."

Naruto looked at her with a funny expression. "Why does his name matter to me?"

"He's your teammate for now. He'll be replacing Sasuke."

"W-what!?" Naruto screeched as he whirled around completely to face the Hokage. "You can't do that, Granny—"

Tsunade fixed him with her terrifying stare. "I already did. Now don't waste any more time. If you hurry, you can catch up to Temari and she can lend you a hand on this mission as well."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but Kakashi stepped in before the brash boy could get a word in edgewise, "We'll go now, Hokage."

••••••••

Wind blazed by and carried a sheen of tan sand with it. Sakura sat uncomfortably in a small cave of rocks, which blocked out most of the churning sand. Not that she even noticed. Her eyes were glued to the dead bodies spread out before her. The sand beneath each body was heavily soaked in blood as the crimson liquid leaked from the mangled corpses.

The owl standing on top of the rocks hooted mournfully.

Deidara shifted beside her, grunting and grumbling as they waited. Sakura wanted to tear his other arm off every time he bumped against her. The man was a monster, he had slaughtered the Sand ninja, whose bodies now lay before her, with obvious glee. Without knowing it, tears had trailed down her cheeks and gathered at the tip of her chin. She hurriedly swiped them away and glanced at the blond beside her. Thankfully, Deidara's attention was elsewhere as a bulky figure appeared. "You're late, Sasori. I thought you didn't like to keep people waiting," Deidara teased.

"I had enough fun to make up for that," the bulky man replied.

"What's with that?" Deidara growled as his blue eyes narrowed.

"Don't get so touchy," Sasori chided. "We secured our mission target – the One Tail, after all."

Deidara moved out of the rock cave and into the sand storm and lifted his head to the sky just as a gust of wind shifted his blond hair aside to reveal a metal contraption over his left eye. The vicious wind also lifted the tattered cloth hanging over Sasori's mouth and Sakura's quick eyes caught the strange sight beneath before the cloth lowered back into place.

* * *

**Have a wonderful week everyone!**

**Leave a review so I know how I'm doing so far! :) **_-Anii_


	4. Chapter 4

**MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU :D**

**Happy Star Wars Day!**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 4: "I'm sick of this waiting so come on and take your shot!"**

―_**Me Against the World by Simple Plan**_

"We're here," Deidara announced.

Sakura's heartbeat thrummed at the blond man's words. The two Akatsuki men jumped from the cliff and landed smoothly on the water's surface. Soft ripples branched out from their feet with every step they took across the still liquid as they crossed. The bird fluttered down beside them, flapping its wings gently as they approached a red torii.

A huge, perfectly round stone blocked their entrance but it was easily dealt with by Deidara, who made a single hand sign that lifted the rock up and out-of-the-way. Clear water dripped from the stone as the bird passed under it, Sakura still perched on its back. The cavern inside didn't look at all special, even with the fancy rock door. The white bird dumped Sakura to the ground the moment it landed.

"You're late. Prepare immediately."

Sakura's blood turned to ice in her veins. It was impossible. She'd looked around and there hadn't been a single person in the cave. However, as she lifted her head, a shadowy figure crept into her vision. The figure looked translucent but had a rainbow-colored outline to him. His voice was strange—it almost seemed to crackle—but Sakura recognized it as Leader's voice.

"The Jichuriki was unexpectedly strong," Deidara argued as the round stone lowered back into place behind them.

The bird released Gaara from its feathers and preened under its wing just once before disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Leader stepped before Gaara, his hands forming quick signs. Sakura rushed forward to stop him as the rainbow-shrouded man let out a sort of war cry and lifted his hand high above his head. Deidara grabbed her by the sleeve, however, and yanked her back, not hard but enough to cease her movement.

Leader's hand slapped the ground and an explosion of dust burst up behind him. The very ground beneath Sakura's feet trembled as a stone carving seemed to push its way out of the Earth. When the statue was fully visible, Sakura actually took a step back. Her eyes drank in the disturbing creature before her; the only thing she could truly distinguish about it were the chained hands that rose out of the ground, palms facing the sky, and the bar clenched between its teeth.

"Alright. Gather," Leader barked into the empty cavern.

For a quick second, Sakura thought the man had gone insane; they were the only ones in the cave. However, several rainbow figures shimmered to life atop the individual fingertips of the strange stone beast. It was hard to stare at one figure for too long; the fantasy-like images twitched and flickered constantly. Leader bobbed his head with satisfaction. Deidara and Sasori jumped up to join their comrades, assuming their places on their designated fingertip; there was only one spot left. The translucent rainbow leader disappeared and reappeared on the last remaining finger, standing with his back straight. "Let's begin."

With one signal from Leader, a chain burst apart from the cylinder in the stone creature's mouth, which opened with an agonizing groan. "From now on it will take three days and nights." Leader stated. "Pay close attention to your real body as well. And Zetsu, keep an eye on the outside for the time being."

An oddly shaped man bowed his head in obedience; his voice was low and gravelly, "I know."

"Three days?" Sakura easily distinguished Kisame's figure and voice amongst the rainbow men. "Shouldn't we expect it to take longer? Since we don't have Orochimaru?" the shark man asked.

All eyes turned to her and the pink-haired kunoichi visibly paled.

"Get up here," Deidara hollered impatiently.

"She can't," Leader interjected. "And it does not matter. If you're worried about the time, Kisame, then get started."

Deidara made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat but turned back to face the silent rock creature. All members of the terrorist group placed their hands in the same position and a thick tension filled the room, making Sakura's lungs burn as she tried to breathe. Glowing spheres of light lit up beneath the rainbow group's feet, each with a single black character in the center.

She watched as the orbs of light burst to life one after the other in perfect succession: Spirit, Blue, White, Red, Boar, South, North, Three, Sphere.

Sakura didn't have a clue as to the meaning being each word so she watched, without speaking, in utter horror as a blue light shone out of the stone creature's mouth.

"Sealing Jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons," No sooner had the words left Leader's mouth, long blue serpents burst out from the light, writhing angrily in the air before honing in on Gaara.

Sakura choked on his name. Her panicked breaths sounded louder than they should. Her frozen body twitched, preparing to leap to Garra's rescue and to cover his already fragile body with her own when a pair of red eyes found hers, seizing her attention and allowing the serpents to crash down on the Jinchuriki. The pinkette was thrown back from the force and landed painfully on the rough cavern floor, watching with bated breath as Gaara was enveloped in white light.

••••••••

_**EDIT: Naruto barges into Kankuro's medical room. There's chaos as they try to stabalize him. Kankuro roughly grabs Naruto's shirt and gasps, "Save my little brother" and he gives Naruto the scrap of Sasori's cloak (it has part of the Akatsuki cloud on it). Naruto is pushed out in the hallway with Sai and Kakashi. He shows them the scrap and Kakashi says he can use Pakkun to track them. Naruto is ready to go now but Kakashi tells him to be patient. Kakashi asks if Sai can get Kankuro to the Leaf using his birds.**_

Naruto's heart thundered in his breast and he felt his lungs squeeze painfully in his chest as he pushed his body harder. His sandaled feet kept sinking deep into the hot sand; it was hard to move efficiently across this blazing desert. The sun rose up behind him as the Sand Village came into view and determination propelled him forward. He barely stopped his jog to listen to the men at the entrance. Their shocked faces shifted towards resolve and they immediately led Team Kakashi into the city.

"Temari," one of the men began. His voice wavered as if he were unsure if he should continue, "How much were you told?"

Sensing that there was more to the story, Temari replied, "Not much besides Gaara's capture. What else happened?"

A bead of sweat formed at the man's brow but he didn't remove his eyes from the blonde girl. "Kankuro was also wounded."

Temari's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'wounded'?"

"He was found outside of the city," the second man broke in.

"Why was Kankuro outside of the gates?" Temari demanded as panic filled her eyes.

"He was in pursuit of the men who had captured Lord Kazekage," the second man answered. "He was poisoned by the enemy. We can't seem to neutralize it. We were hoping you had someone who could help find a cure."

A painful throb pulsated in Naruto's chest and he ground his teeth together, forcing away all thoughts of Sakura at this crucial time.

Kakashi regretfully replied, "None of us are medical ninja. I'm sorry."

Temari's wide, panic-filled eyes only grew wider as the realization that her brother was doomed struck her. "Where's Sakura? Why wasn't she with your team?"

"Sakura's dead," Sai blurted.

Naruto's fist clenched at Sai's nonchalant statement. The spiky-haired ninja's nostrils flared but he kept his anger in check for the time being. He wouldn't forget the comment, however, and he would beat the hell out of Sai for it later when Gaara and Kankuro's lives weren't at stake.

"We'll take you to the hospital immediately," one of the Sand ninja said as he turned a sharp corner.

"Thank you." Temari's whisper of gratitude was marred by her fear.

Their guide stopped in front of a door way, standing off to the side. "He's in exam room 3."

Temari must have known exactly where the exam room was because she bolted up the stairs and turned down hallways faster than humanly possible until she reached her destination. "Kankuro!" she shouted – the name almost came out as a desperate plea.

Sai and Kakashi slid to a halt in the wide doorway feeling rather intrusive but Naruto charged forward right beside Temari. The pair came up to a metal slab with a sweating Kankuro sprawled out on it. As they approached, Kankuro's eyes flew open and he let loose a bellowing howl that ripped through the air.

"Kankuro," Naruto whispered feeling the panic suddenly invade his body as well.

Chaos erupted as the medical ninja in the room tried to force down the thrashing puppeteer but the injured man refused to settle. Kankuro's hand lashed out and he grabbed a fistful of Naruto's shirt. The ninja was surprisingly strong for his condition; he yanked Naruto down until the two ninja were almost nose-to-nose.

"Save"—Kankuro swallowed painfully—"my little brother."

He released Naruto abruptly and shoved something into the boy's pocket before the medical ninja could shoo the Leaf ninja out of the way. Temari bent over her brother with wide eyes, "Kankuro? Kankuro, what's wrong?!"

Naruto stumbled away from the mayhem numbly. His throat clenched with emotion and he looked away from the scene with obvious discomfort. A hand fell on the boy's shoulder and he turned to stare up into the face of his teacher.

Naruto swallowed painfully around the lump in his throat, "Kakashi—"

"We should leave," Kakashi interrupted as he steered Naruto out of the room.

"What are they going to do?" Naruto muttered the moment he was out of earshot. "Can't Tsunade come and—"

"The Hokage can't leave the Leaf. Especially if the Akatsuki are attacking villages," Sai interjected. He was disturbingly calm.

"They aren't attacking villages for the hell of it," Naruto argued. "They attacked the Sand for a Jinchuriki—for Gaara."

"Naruto." Kakashi's expression told Naruto to quiet his voice.

The blond bit his lip; his anger was silenced but not quelled. Three years ago he'd been attacked by Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki – two members of the infamous Akatsuki. They wanted the Nine Tails locked away inside of Naruto's body. He had no idea why they waited so long to go after Gaara, but Naruto was certain the goal had been Gaara the Jinchuriki not Gaara the Kazekage.

Naruto dug around in his pocket and held out the scrap of cloth. On it, a fat red cloud stood out against a black background – the symbol of the Akatsuki. Naruto stared down at it with fiery resolve. _I'll bring him back, Kankuro. I'll bring Garra back._

••••••••

Cicada's chirped high in the trees but even their rhythmical music couldn't calm Naruto. The blond couldn't sit still; he was itching to move on. He sent daggers at the woman who was holding them up. The old woman who volunteered herself- Chiyo- needed a break and that was why Team Kakashi was stuck under a canopy of trees while Gaara's time was ticking away. Chiyo sat peacefully with her back against a solid oak. She was on the verge of falling asleep but kept waking up and glaring at those around her as if daring them to say that she had been sleeping. Naruto threw his hands up and growled through clenched teeth out of aggravation.

Somehow, this woman had managed to weasel her way in on the mission by saying something about her grandson. _I don't know what her family has to do with this_, Naruto thought, _but I just hope she doesn't die on the way there. _

"You were thinking badly about me, weren't you!?" Chiyo shrieked.

This woman was almost as infuriating as Sai was! "I was not-!"

Kakashi's gaze was harsh and sent the restless boy a clear warning. To break the silence and unease, Kakashi turned to Chiyo to ask, "When you volunteered yourself for this mission, you mentioned your grandson."

She looked away from Kakashi, "And?"

"And?! That's what you're asking?" Naruto stood up "What the hell does he have to do with this mission!? Why are you here?!"

"Sit down, Naruto," Kakashi ordered firmly.

The blond obeyed begrudgingly but his annoyance remained.

"My grandson is the one who attacked Kankuro," Chiyo admitted with a tight expression.

"Then could you tell us a few things that might help in fighting him?" Kakashi asked.

Some of Naruto's restlessness ebbed and he leaned towards the woman waiting for her answer.

Chiyo shook her head. "I haven't seen my grandson in 20 years. I'm not sure I'll be much help. He's probably progressed a lot since I last laid eyes on him."

"Anything you can tell us will be helpful," Kakashi insisted.

Naruto crossed his arms and adverted his gaze but kept his focus on the old Sand ninja. Chiyo tilted back her head as if looking to the sky for help. "Sasori is a brilliant puppet master. He created spectacular designs still used by the puppeteers of today. He was an important asset to the Sand in the Third Shinobi War. Kankuro had no hope in battling against Sasori."

"Seems like you aren't giving Kankuro enough credit," Naruto murmured much to his teacher's annoyance.

"There was no way Kankuro could win because Sasori created Kankuro's puppets." Chiyo's expression saddened as if she weren't proud of the fact.

Naruto's interest was piqued. "Your grandson made the puppets Kankuro uses?"

Chiyo simply nodded in response and continued on with the exchange of information, "Sasori uses poisons. I didn't think he would be capable of such an advanced serum like the one I saw in Kankuro's system."

The group lapsed into despondent silence which only fueled Naruto's agitation. The blond jumped to his feet and turned his back on the others. His hands clenched at his sides.

"What's got his feathers ruffled?" Chiyo huffed with annoyance.

"He wants to go find his lover," Sai blurted.

Naruto whirled around to face the infuriating pale boy, "That's not it at all!"

"Then what is it?" Sai shot back calmly with a challenging glance.

Naruto wanted to pummel the idiot into the ground. Instead, he turned back around to the setting sun. He remembered the pained look on Kankuro's face and the sweat that made the boy's hair stick to his sickly pale face. Naruto also remembered the determination in Kankuro's eyes as he begged Naruto to bring back Gaara. "I've got a promise to keep," the blond muttered aloud to his comrades.

"To Sakura?" Sai taunted.

Naruto ground his teeth together. "Don't say her name."

"You don't like it when I call her your lover or when I call her by her name." Sai cocked his head to the side. "Would you prefer that I call her a traitor?"

Naruto seized Sai by the boy's shirt and hauled him off of the ground until they were nose-to-nose. "Don't mention her at all," Naruto snarled dangerously.

"Is this how Leaf ninja behave towards their comrades?" Chiyo snorted. "Pathetic."

Kakashi looked like he was on the verge of banging his head against the nearest tree. "Maybe it's better if both of you sit down."

Naruto's fist clenched tighter around Sai's shirt but Kakashi's commanding stare made the boy give up. He released the captured jerk but refused to sit. Instead, he walked over by Chiyo and leaned his back against the rough bark.

"Who is Sakura?" Chiyo asked blatantly.

Naruto hunched his shoulders and Kakashi stepped up to answer the woman's ignored question, "She's a student of mine. She's been missing for a week now."

Naruto wondered why his teacher felt the need to explain anything at all to this old crone. Maybe Kakashi was repaying Chiyo for telling them about her grandson.

"Gone missing? Can't the Hidden Leaf keep track of their ninja?" Chiyo cackled.

"The Akatsuki was involved. We aren't sure of the details ourselves," the silver-haired ninja informed.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Are we done talking about her?"

"Why are you so insistent that we _shouldn't_?" Chiyo returned.

"Because it's hard to focus on the mission when I think about her," Naruto snapped.

Chiyo gave him a suspicious look. "Do you have a picture of this girl?"

"A picture? Why do you want a picture?" Naruto asked with equal suspicion.

"Just give me a picture!" the woman demanded.

Naruto hesitantly reached into his back pocket and handed over the only picture he had of Sakura and Sasuke - the two people closest to him who were both now lost. Chiyo snatched the picture from Naruto's fingers and squinted so her old eyes could see clearly.

"Pink hair..." the woman whispered to herself.

Chiyo licked her dry lips and gave the picture back to Naruto. The spiky-haired blond regretfully looked down at his picture. The poor thing had creases in it from being folded and stuffed into his back pocket for so long but the image was still crystal clear. Naruto stared down at the picture as if it were a window to the past; in many ways, it was. He couldn't help a small smile forming on his lips.

Chiyo stood up abruptly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!"

As Naruto tore his attention away from his memories, he caught Sai adverting his gaze from the picture. The action was odd but unimportant as Team Kakashi prepared to get moving again. As Naruto pulled his pack on to his back, he glanced one last time at the sunset. _I'm coming for you, Gaara,_ he promised as he replaced his precious photo in his back pocket.

••••••••

Sakura sat huddled in the shadows with her head clutched between her hands as Gaara's garbled screams filled the room. The kunoichi's entire body was trembling and cold despite the heavy cloak covering her. _Do something! _She shrieked mentally, begging herself to end Gaara's torment. She couldn't and she knew that she couldn't; her deal with the devil prevented it.

Other than her friend's agonizing cry, the room was unbearably silent. No one spoke. In fact, all of the Akatsuki members stood firmly on the fingertips of the stone beast with their eyes closed and backs straight. When the silence was broken by one of them, Sakura's body jolted.

"An enemy is approaching this hideout," the strange-looking Zetsu stated.

"An enemy, you said?" Deidara asked, his voice displaying his amusement.

"A highly skilled one at that," Zetsu added. "His name is Might Guy."

Sakura's heart leapt up in her throat as her hopes soared.

Leader opened his eyes and revealed the swirled orbs beneath his eye lids. "Who's that?"

"A Leaf Jonin who uses Taijutsu," Itachi informed. His usually soft voice was deformed by the crack that all the Rainbow Members seemed to share. "He's clever. Don't underestimate him."

Kisame seemed to remember Guy with obvious amusement, "Ah, that freak beast."

The leader pondered this information. "We will use_ that_ jutsu."

"I'll go," Kisame volunteered. "I have somewhat of a personal argument with the guy, you see."

"You're right. You're the most suited for that jutsu among the Akatsuki, Kisame," Leader stated bluntly. "You're more heavily loaded with chakra. Even so, I'll have to take 30% of it."

"Alright. It looks like I'll finally be able to get my payback for that kick he gave me," Kisame chuckled.

Sakura's hope for rescue fumbled. Kisame was strong enough to delay Guy and Gaara couldn't hold out much longer.

Zetsu spoke up again, "Another guest."

Sakura had a nagging feeling that she knew who this second "guest" was.

"It's a little noisy this time, isn't it, Deidara?" Leader mused.

"Well this Jinchuriki was stronger than the other two," the blond defended.

"I told you at the start!" Sasori grumbled. "Your Jutsu wasn't suited for covert operations."

Deidara snorted. "I'd say your traps were pretty loud, too!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Stop fighting!" Leader snapped. His voice instantly brought order back to the group. "Concentrate on the Jutsu. Now then, who should we send this time?"

"This time it's my turn. I've been feeling a little irritated about not finding a Jinchuriki," a man piped up.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. The man's barely distinguishable figure offered few hints to his identity but his voice was familiar enough to tell her that that was Hidan. She shuddered involuntarily and hated herself for it.

"No. Another Leaf ninja should go," Zetsu rasped.

Itachi's head turned; his eyes, while expressionless, bored holes into Zetsu's tiny skull.

Sakura's hope plummeted into nonexistence. There was no way the rescue team could get here in time. She clenched her fists at her side. _Don't think like that_, she berated. Sakura lifted her head and pressed her lips together tightly. _Naruto will_ _get here in time. **Someone** will._

"In that case," Leader's eyes narrowed, "it's decided."

Annoyed at being passed up, Hidan swore to show his displeasure.

After several moments of renewed silence, Leader spoke up, "It seems Itachi has come into contact with the enemy and Kisame is in a fight as well."

Sakura glanced over at the Rainbow Group. She could still make out Itachi and Kisame's twitching multi-colored figures but both men were silent and unmoving. Kisame's beady, unblinking stare especially gave Sakura chills._ Hurry_, she begged her Leaf comrades. _Please, hurry._

••••••••

"How are you holdin' up back there, Granny?!" Naruto yelled, speaking to the old woman behind him.

Chiyo glared daggers at Naruto but did not speak.

"Everyone, halt!" Kakashi's frantic shout stopped Naruto cold in his tracks and he turned his head away from the old woman behind him.

His blood ran cold in his veins as his eyes fell upon the menacing face of the notorious elder Uchiha, Itachi. The wind gusted by, blowing the man's black hair every which way, but his deadpan stare remained unnervingly still.

"Itachi..." Chiyo stepped forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "So, he's the brat who murdered his entire clan?"

Itachi addressed them formally as if they were long lost friends. "It's been awhile, Kakashi, Naruto."

"Not only me, but now Gaara as well!? You bastard!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the Uchiha. "I'll _destroy_ you guys!"

Itachi lifted his hand, unfazed by Naruto's threat, and Kakashi shouted out a warning. "Everyone, don't look directly at his eyes! It's dangerous!"

The Uchiha brought up his hand to form a simple sign and Kakashi quickly and quietly informed the group of the man's powers. "Itachi's Genjutsu is visual, meaning if you get caught by his sight..."

"We're finished," Naruto grimly added.

Kakashi nodded. "We'll be fine as long as we don't make eye contact. Watch his body and feet. You should be able to decipher his actions that way."

"It's been a while since I went up against a Sharingan," Chiyo mumbled.

Naruto's head jerked to the side, amazed that the woman had gone up against an Uchiha. For almost his whole life, he'd only known two people who possessed the Sharingan. It was different for Chiyo though.

"Don't be so surprised," the woman mused. "There are a few techniques to counter this Visual Jutsu."

Despite his annoyance with her, Naruto easily deferred to the woman's knowledge, "What should we do?"

"If it's one against one, you must flee. If it's two against one, take to the back," she sounded as if she were reciting something.

Naruto scratched his chin. "H-huh?"

"Are you that clueless, Naruto?" Sai griped.

"I don't need any of your crap, Sai!"

Sai's deadpan stare met Naruto's as the black-haired boy explained the plan. "One person will distract him by getting caught in the Genjutsu and the other will attack from behind when needed to end it. The Sharingan can't reach back behind the user."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto stepped forward. "I'll take the-"

"Wait," Kakashi cautioned as he grabbed Naruto's sleeve.

"We've waited long enough," Naruto pressed. "I'm not even sure why he hasn't attacked yet!"

"Do you doubt my way of fighting the Uchiha?" Chiyo's voice was calm but held an undertone of anger.

"It would work perfectly if this were an ordinary Genjutsu," Kakashi explained. "It's a bit more complicated in Itachi's case."

Chiyo's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Kakashi's voice was solemn. "He uses the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Chiyo recoiled as if Kakashi's words had knocked her back. Thankfully, Kakashi explained for Naruto who was clueless about all things involving the Sharingan.

"It's a lot stronger than a regular Sharingan. Once caught, the person experiences time differently. The others, the ones not caught in the Jutsu, will see that only a second has passed, but to the person caught, it will feel like hours or even days. After I was caught in it, I was unconscious for a week. It's not a matter of ending or not ending the Genjutsu. None of us can afford to get caught in it."

Heavy tension fell on the group and every member stood still.

"Impressive, Kakashi," Itachi's calm voice grated against Naruto's skin. "It seems you didn't suffer in my Nightmare Realm in vain."

"That's not all I know," Kakashi taunted. "You wouldn't use it now. After that time, you were exhausted and left immediately. You used up a lot of chakra, didn't you? In addition, it does some damage to your eye doesn't it?"

"You've gathered a lot from one match." Itachi noted.

"Hey, Itachi"—Kakashi placed a hand on his headband and lifted it to reveal the scarred eye hidden beneath—"about your eyesight...how much has it weakened?"

Itachi closed his eyes and his brow furrowed as if distressed by the Leaf jonin's words. When he reopened his eyes, a dull fire resided in Itachi's gaze.

* * *

**Hope you all have a lovely day!**

**Please rate and review :D ****-**_Anii_


	5. Chapter 5

**A nice long chapter for my oh-so-kind readers :)**

**Pardon the mistakes (both grammatical and in spelling)**

**I wasn't able to edit properly because of the eventful week and this chapter being so long**

**I will get around to editing it eventually, however.**

**I promise.**

**Enjoy!**

_- Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 5: "I won't give up, I'll keep trying. It's not over, I'll keep fighting."**

_**― Last One Standing by Simple Plan**_

Itachi opened his eyes and was met with silence. It felt like ages had passed since anyone had moved in the cavern. Itachi imagined the blond-haired Jinchuriki's anger once he discovered that the person he actually fought and killed was a decoy.

"The Jutsu wore off, huh?" Leader questioned, opening his eyes as well. "It bought us more than enough time. Good work, Itachi, Kisame."

"That's easy to say," Sasori growled. "The two who became sacrifices for your Jutsu were my subordinates."

Leader let out a single, snarky laugh. "You should be thanking me. With my Impersonation Jutsu, they were both able to become Akatsuki member, although for a short amount of time. We're almost ready."

Itachi's gaze turned to the young pink-haired girl in the shadows. She sat as far away from them as possible with her forehead resting on her knees. It looked as if she were asleep. Itachi knew better, however. The girl was devastated. He'd snuck glances at her during the last three days. Sakura had barely eaten and hardly moved at all. She masked her terror well enough; no one else would notice unless they truly looked at her and none of the Akatsuki members cared to give her a second glance.

The giant rock that guarded the entrance to the cave shuddered and the girl lifted her head. Her wayward stare moved across the room with resolute dismay until she met Itachi's stare. A light lit in her face and her back straightened as she swiped the despair from her face and replaced it with impassiveness. Itachi almost nodded with approval but he felt too many eyes on him.

"It appears they've arrived," Kisame grunted.

Deidara tiled his head to the side. "Which group, hm? The group my man Kisame stalled? Or is it...?"

"It's both groups," the darker half of Zetsu informed.

"So they both arrived at the same time?" Leader's voice was ominous despite his words of triumph. "They arrived a bit too late."

Itachi glanced at the lifeless body of the One Tail Jinchuriki. _They didn't get here in time..._

"It seems they have another Jichuriki with them," Zetsu's dark half chuckled.

Itachi closed his eyes and an image of the Leaf Jinchuriki rose to the surface. The boy was wild. That wasn't a good trait in a Jinchuriki.

Leader presented the next question to the group, "What should we do with the people outside?"

"We're not even sure they can get in here," Kisame offered.

"Don't underestimate them," Itachi warned.

Kisame erupted in laughter. "Well, I do acknowledge their brute strength."

Leader had apparently already reached a decision, "Sasori, Deidara, take care of the guys outside. Take the Jinchuriki alive."

"I knew it would end up like this," Deidara sighed. "What do we do with her?"

Leader's unnerving stare seemed to bore into Sakura. "Do with her as you wish. Everyone else is dismissed."

Kakuzu, Konan, Kisame, and Hidan's rainbow projections disappeared promptly. Before Itachi could leave, however, Sasori called out to the Uchiha, "What's the Jinchuriki like?"

Sasori's question was met with silence.

"Tell him," Leader commanded.

Itachi chose his words carefully. "He'll be the first one to yell and scream at you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasori grumbled.

"Doesn't he have any distinguishing characteristics?" Deidara asked, unamused by Itachi's answer.

Itachi ended the mental connection and his awareness returned to his real body. He lowered his arms and glanced at Kisame. The shark man was stretching and grunting about being out of commission for so long. Itachi closed his eyes and relaxed his tense shoulders. Things were going smoothly for now. Unfortunately, he didn't know for how long that would continue.

••••••••

Sakura found herself stunned by Itachi's defiance. The act was subtle and unimportant but rang clear with the intended resistance. Deidara didn't seem pleased by the act, however, and grumbled out several curses directed at the Uchiha.

Now Leader's shimmering rainbow figure was the only one remaining. "I leave the rest to you."

"Alright." Sasori's hulking form shifted restlessly.

Deidara smirked. "We got it."

Sakura rose to her feet immediately when Leader's swirled gaze landed on her. Satisfied, the man moved his hands rapidly to complete several hand signs. "I'll be waiting to hear from you." With that, he was gone.

A puff of smoke exploded in the room and the massive Rock Beast vanished without a trace. Amazed that something so enormous and terrifying had disappeared so quickly, Sakura took a step back. Her thoughts whirled until she could barely stand upright. Her vision swayed and her throat was dry. Her gaze locked on the round rock that blocked the entry to the cave. Her friends were out there. _Naruto _was out there.

I should be out there. I should be helping them!

Sakura thought miserably

"Hey! Are you listening?!" Something solid struck her back.

Sakura turned around to see Deidara glaring at her, a scowl on his face. "You know these Leaf ninja, right?"

Sakura nodded, her numbness giving her the ability to act the part of a slightly dimwitted young girl. _In many ways, I am_, she thought bitterly.

"Then you'll be the distraction," Deidara decided with a single nod.

"Wrong."

Deidara spun around to glare at his partner. "Why the hell not!? It makes sense! They would chase after her."

"But she doesn't have the kind of mobility you do," Sasori argued, his gruff voice grating against Sakura's nerves. "They want the Kazekage and they want your head. That will be enough to draw them away."

"Well then what the hell are we supposed to do with her?!" Deidara groaned, exacerbated by Sakura's presence.

"Leave her with me."

"What do you need her for?" Deidara's grin was teasing.

"I don't," Sasori growled. "I'll take her back to the hideout after we're done. Who knows how long you'll be gone. Those ninja may chase you for quite a while."

Deidara turned to the object of discussion. "Any arguments, Sakura?"

"No," she replied flatly.

Deidara smirked. "Good. We wouldn't have listened anyway."

The blond glanced around the cavern and pointed towards a chunk of missing rock in the cave's side. "Wait there until the fight is over."

Sakura jogged over to the crack and timidly placed a hand against it. It didn't look very wide.

"What are you waiting for?" Deidara hissed impatiently.

Sakura resisted the urge to clobber the jerk and carefully wiggled her way inside of the crack; she was just barely able to squeeze in. Deidara dropped down onto Gaara's corpse with a loud sigh. He ran a hand over his face as if able to scrub away his frustration. Seconds turned into minutes. Sakura stood in her hiding spot uncomfortably with her heart thrumming fearfully in her chest.

"They're late." The blond grumbled, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "I wish they'd just hurry up and get here."

When he didn't get a response, Deidara turned slightly to his partner. "You've got to be losing it by now. You don't like waiting."

"Yeah." Sasori's reply almost sounded like a tired sigh. "I hate it."

Thick cracks formed in the rock blocking the entrance and Sakura gasped softly. She pressed herself up against the wall, begging it to hide her from her friend's eyes. The spidery cracks in the rock spread out until the entire thing was reduce to rubble that crashed down into the dark waters below. Sakura swallowed painfully as her heart rate suddenly leapt up to the danger zone. She could feel her palms sweat as her anxiety increased. She ground her teeth together as the dust settled and the outside world was revealed. Figures shot into the cave and Sakura ducked back further into her hiding spot. The pinkette pressed her forehead against the rock wall and closed her eyes tightly in an attempt to calm herself.

"Now...which one's the Jinchuriki?" Deidara sneered; he was the first one to speak in the abysmal standoff.

A scream echoed in the cave and Sakura hunched her shoulders as the sound ripped through her like iron spikes.

"You bastards!" Naruto roared. "I'll kill you both!"

Sakura clenched her fists as she recalled Itachi's description of Naruto_: _he'll be the first one to yell and scream at you.

Sakura clenched her fists as she recalled Itachi's description of Naruto. _You gave yourself away, s_he whispered in her head. Y_ou big idiot._

"Itachi's pretty good at describing people," Deidara mused as he plugged on ear with his index finger. "You're annoyingly loud."

Sakura drug her fingers into the rock wall as she resisted her burning desire to poke her head out of the crack. She wanted to see Naruto. She wanted to see what he was feeling. She didn't like hearing that voice without seeing his face. She didn't like that she was saddened by the sound and not delighted with a hint of being annoyed. She especially hated that she wasn't beside him and that she was on the opposite team.

"Gaara! What are you doing sleeping there leisurely in a place like this!?" Naruto's voice cracked. "Stand up!"

Naruto's heart-breaking cry resounded in Sakura's ears, making her head spin. The tears that had escaped her before now demanded to be free with full force and, silently, they slipped down her cheeks one after another. Her shoulders shook with quiet sobs as the rough sediment bit into the flesh of her palms. _Naruto...how can you not see that he's _–?_ Gaara is..._

"Gaara! Knock it off!" Naruto shouted desperately.

"Enough, Naruto!" Kakashi's harshness dissipated as he went on. "You should know..."

"That's right," Deidara taunted cheerfully. "You know, don't you? He's long dead."

"Give him back!" Naruto's tone was deep – almost animalistic. "Give Gaara back!"

"I heard the Nine Tails is powerful. He'll be a suitable opponent for my art," Deidara concluded.

Sakura peered around the rock slightly. She couldn't see her friends from this angle but she could clearly see her Akatsuki companions. Deidara's back was to Sakura but the pinkette could clearly see that the radical artist was still perched on Gaara's corpse. The blatant act of disrespect was intended to rile up the Leaf ninja and it was certainly working.

"You call those explosions of yours art?" Sasori argued. "Art lasts. Eternal beauty is art."

"I respect your craftsmanship but I disagree," Deidara tilted his head back. "Art is a fleeting moment of beauty."

Sakura gathered that they had had this argument before. It angered her, however, that they would have such a ridiculous argument in such a dire situation. Apparently, Naruto felt the same way. "You assholes!" the boy shrieked.

The Akatsuki members ignored the Leaf ninja's outburst altogether and continued on with their useless debate.

"Knock it off!" Naruto screamed, louder this time.

Sasori's silver tail shot up, deflecting the sharp shuriken Naruto had launched and knocking it to the ground. The pair continued to argue as if nothing had transpired. Apparently having enough of the debate, Deidara stood up and tossed out one of his tiny clay sculptures. With one hand sign, the bird sculpture grew in size and came to life. The white creature picked Gaara up in its mouth. Still angry over their argument, Sasori's tail lashed out and dove straight for Deidara's chest.

The blond jumped high into the air and landed comfortably on his bird's back. "See you later, my man!"

Sakura held her breath. They were enacting their plan now. Deidara was going to drive off Naruto. _This is your last chance to see him..._

Sakura poked her head out and her gaze sweapt across the cave until landing on Naruto. She instantly regretted her decision to peek. Upon seeing the spiky-haired idiot, Sakura's heart cracked down the middle.

Naruto was taller and his face had thinned out nicely but he didn't look that different. In an instant, it was as if those years apart hadn't happened. The pinkette even found a smile forming on her trembling lips.

"Come after me, Nine Tails." Deidara's bird scooped up Gaara's corpse with its mouth. "If you want your Kage friend back, that is."

The creature took off and, without hesitation, Naruto bolted after it. Kakashi called out to his student, seemingly exhausted by Naruto's impulsive behavior. He turned quickly to an older woman who had gone unnoticed until now before chasing after his student.

Sasori let out a long, drawn out sigh. "I heard you retired long ago."

It took Sakura a few embarrassing moments to realize that Sasori was speaking directly to the unknown woman. Did they know each other?

"I suddenly wanted to see my grandson's face," the woman replied, her voice even as she reached inside her long sleeves.

_G-grandson?_ Sakura blanched and backed up involuntarily until a shaft of rock pressed up against her spine uncomfortably. This woman was Sasori's relative? A slick sheen of icy sweat had appeared on her skin unbeknownst to her and her jaw ached from clenching her teeth together. She was incredibly tense for a simple bystander.

With just that simple exchange, the battle began. The woman yanked her arms free from her sleeves with a thin wire clutched in her aged hands. Shifting kunai clung to the wire before ripping simultaneously through the air and straight at Sasori.

Sasori's tail swatted away some of the blades but a few sliced through the Akatsuki cloak covering his body. Seeming amused by this, Sasori ripped off the garment altogether. "Stubborn old woman."

••••••••

Chiyo was annoyed to see that Sasori was wearing Hiroku. The puppet's defense would be incredibly hard to beat and in the time that it would take to destroy it, she would certainly exert her precious energy. She wouldn't be able to handle a long battle if her chakra and strength were depleted before she even could bring out the real Sasori.

Hiroku's tail danced before his revealed figure and Chiyo balked. A disturbing mask with exaggerated human features adorned the puppet's back as if it were a shell and it no doubt added to Hiroku's defense. Chiyo silently cursed.

"I didn't come all this way to see a puppet's ugly face," Chiyo spat, her voice blasting out into the cavern loudly.

Sasori didn't respond, he simply glared at the woman with his menacing, bloodshot eyes.

The slightest shift of movement caught the woman's eye and she flicked her gaze over to a large split in the cavern wall. She wouldn't have noticed it if something hadn't brought her attention to it.

"Do you know how I make my puppets, Grandma Chiyo?" Sasori called out, happy to explain the gruesome process.

He was trying to bring her focus back to him. Chiyo's eyes narrowed suspicious and she focused more on the cavern crack. A figure moved in the shadows and Chiyo's eyes shot open wide.

Her thin lips parted in a smirk. _Did you think I wouldn't see you?_

Hiroku's sharp silver extremity swiped down, aiming and missing Chiyo, who managed to dodge the attack effectively. Her speed defied her age.

"I thought I would be able to take you on by myself." Determination slipped into Chiyo's eyes, giving them a razor sharpness that hadn't been there a minute ago. "But it looks like you've changed Hiruko a lot since I last saw him. I might need a little help."

Chiyo tossed out her hand without breaking her stare down with Sasori and silence passed in the cavern. She could feel her chakra threads embed themselves in the girl's skin and apologized to her Leaf companions.

She dragged the hidden girl out into the open to get a better look at her. It was undeniably the same girl that had been in Naruto's picture. Her hair was cut shorter and she had grown into her body but it was Sakura.

"That's an Akatsuki robe you're wearing." Chiyo's voice was dry as she turned her keen eyes on Sakura.

"You plan on using her against me?" Sasori's question held laughter behind his words.

In response, Chiyo jerked her hands to the side and Sakura lurched forward. "Girl, if you don't want to die, I suggest you dodge all of that puppet's hidden attacks."

Her grandson yanked the cloth down from around Hiroku's mouth as he shouted, "I hate to be kept waiting!"

The puppet's mouth fell open and thousands of needles shot out from within, gleaming dangerously in the light emanating from the outside world. Sakura's eyes were panic filled and her body tensed up with indecision. Chiyo grunted as she poured more effort into moving the girl as Sasori unleashed another volley of sebon.

Sakura instinctively propelled herself off of the wall, jumping high above Sasori's head. Without her allowance, Chiyo made the pinkette drop down. Unprepared, Sakura smashed down into the puppet with only her body weight.

Sakura groaned as she rolled over the cavern floor so hard Chiyo could swear she saw the girl's eyes roll in around in their sockets.

Chiyo again took control and brought Sakura to her feet in an instant. Involuntarily, the pinkette charged toward the hulking menace and Chiyo became disturbingly silent as a calm spread across her wrinkled visage.

To avoid a quick slash of Sasori's tail, Sakura dropped down and vaulted left but the bastard wasn't going to let her get away. The silver appendage swished in the air before racing straight for Sakura.

Chiyo knew she shouldn't be but she was shocked that Sasori was so vicious towards his Akatsuki comrade. It looked like, even in the terrorist group, Sasori hadn't grown as a person. The woman made the younger kunoichi press on despite the imminent threat. The girl opened her mouth to scream; the sharp tail was mere seconds away from impaling her.

However, at the last possible moment, the tail halted in mid-attack. Sakura stared at the weapon with shock-filled eyes and exhaled harshly. The silver appendage twitched and shuddered as Chiyo held it back with her chakra cords. A slight feeling of jubilance rose in her chest as she noticed the shadow of confusion that crossed her grandson's face.

The pinkette relaxed slightly but Chiyo wasn't finished with her yet. Her anger melted away the guilt she felt towards the girl. Her friends were worried about her and here she was playing terrorist with Chiyo's own grandson. She was angry with them both for their betrayal and she used that anger to wake the aging kunoichi within her. Sasori had Hiroku as his defense and Chiyo had Sakura. Who was better? A puppet or a human?

••••••••

Stars exploded in her vision as Chiyo bashed the pinkette brutally against Sasori's tough exterior. There was no way that this figure was made of flesh and blood. The older woman had mentioned a puppet. Was this person simply a puppet? Who could be controlling him? The only "Sasori" she had ever seen was this form. Was this not really Sasori?

Sakura somersaulted away to avoid being sliced open by Sasori's tail. The old crone, however, forced the girl backwards. Is she planning on using me as a battering ram? Sakura thought with anger. Again, without her focused chakra, Sakura simply beat Sasori's puppet with only her slight body weight. Grimacing, she used the puppet's shell to leap over to Sasori's left as a section of his arm shot out. The wooden sticks attached to the arm burst out and split open, unleashing a volley of thin needles, all of which were dripping with purple poison.

Sakura willingly dodged the needles, terrified of the poison she saw there. The needles stuck harmlessly in the ground when they missed their target and the room lapsed into momentary silence. _He's really okay with killing me_, Sakura thought as sweat created more from fear than exertion beaded down her temple.

"Is this all you have?" Sasori scoffed.

Chiyo, unfazed, took control of Sakura again, throwing the poor girl at Sasori's sturdy puppet.

"I'm not a battering ram!" Sakura blurted, throwing her fist out before her in pure anger. Her chakra condensed tightly into her clenched fingers just before connecting with the puppet's figure.

A loud series of snaps erupted from the wooden creature as it gave way to Sakura's strength. The force of the strike even ruptured the ground below, causing the entire cavern to quiver. Rocks rained down from above and Hiruko shattered entirely. Sakura's breathing was irregular as frustration, anger, and slight overexertion mixed sickeningly in her chest. A hissing sound erupted in the cavern and a purple fog puffed out of the wooden remains of the puppet.

The poisonous cloud expanded alarmingly and Sakura moved to step back but a flicker of movement caught her eye. Using the tattered remains of the puppet's clothing, a figure shot out of the puppet's broken body. The cloaked figure landed surely on the fractured ground, his back to Sakura and Chiyo. The pinkette's breath caught in her throat. Was this the real Sasori.

"You dolt, pay attention!" Chiyo barked.

Too late, Sakura realized that the purple cloud had puffed up considerably; it now rolled up against her shoulders. Sakura sucked in a deep breath of air and held it as she leapt out of the cloud.

"So, you've finally come out?" A smile formed on Chiyo's wrinkled face. "I've waited twenty years to face you."

A single milk-white hand slowly rose up from the mass of tattered cloth, the only visible part of Sasori's true body. His finger nails were painted black and his fingers twitched – a dangerous sign from a puppet master.

The broken puppet's dismembered head shot up, mouth chattering creepily. Another onslaught of needles rained down and Chiyo yanked her hands back, sending Sakura flying backwards. The pinkette landed harshly on the ground and had seconds to jump back onto her feet to avoid more needles. Sakura had not forgotten the woman's mistreatment of her body but was thankful for the older kunoichi's help.

Sasori straightened, his visible hand reaching up towards the makeshift hood covering his head. "I probably shouldn't be, but I'm impressed. I should have expected nothing less from the woman who hammered the teachings of puppet mastery into my head."

Sakura's brow furrowed as she heard the unfamiliar sound come from the shrouded figure. Sasori's voice was no longer gruff and deep. It was light and mocking.

"The show ends today." Chiyo stated, her face taking on an unusual calm.

"That is my intention as well." Sasori stated, yanking the cloak from his body and letting it fall to the floor.

Sakura reeled from the sight. Chiyo had claimed she hadn't seen Sasori for twenty years. That had to make him at least that old but the man before them looked like he was merely a teenager no older than Sakura herself. Sasori had striking red hair and large eyes. The rest of his figure, however, was hidden beneath the Akatsuki robe he wore.

"What's wrong, Granny Chiyo?" Sasori's lips parted in a taunting smile. "Are you so struck with emotion you can't speak? That's not surprising considering this is our first reunion in twenty years."

Sakura couldn't contain her shock. This Sasori was entirely different than the one she was used to. The monster who had been burned into her memory was a stalky, hidden man with a gravelly voice. In reality, the one who had tortured her looked like a normal kid despite the wicked gleam in his heavy-lidded eyes. Sakura couldn't process the change.

"I'll show you something special." A scroll slid down his sleeve right into his hand. He unraveled it partially so that one word was shown.

"Three?" Sakura blurted, entirely confused.

"Unfortunately, Sakura, I don't think you'll be able to experience the joys of the Akatsuki," Sasori informed as a cloud of smoke exploded from the scroll. "Because you're going to die here today."

A puppet appeared before Sasori, eliciting a cry from Chiyo, "That...That's the Third Kazekage!"

Sasori twisted his hands and the puppet moved accordingly, wrapping itself around Sasori's body in a show of protection.

"Doesn't it take you back, Grandma Chiyo!?" Sasori chuckled. "He was the most powerful of the Kazekages, wasn't he? And I have him now in my collection."

Chiyo's expression shifted to one of anger. "You killed him."

Sasori smirked. "Are you going to avenge him? You, an old woman with one foot already in the grave?"

"To think, you'd meddle with the Kazekage a third time." Chiyo's eyes narrowed.

"Hey, I had nothing to do with the Fourth's death." Sasori seemed to delight in this banter. "My subordinate was the guide, not me."

"Can you really say that you had nothing to do with his death?" Chiyo argued, not amused.

"I was paired with Orochimaru so I did a lot of things but—"

"Save it!" Chiyo shrieked, forcing her human puppet Sakura forward.

Enthralled by the conversation, Sakura wasn't aware she was being hurtled toward Sasori until the Kazekage puppet raced out to protect its master. Reacting on impulse, the pinkette ducked just as a flurry of sebon burst from the wooden creature's arm.

She thrust a chakra concentrated first upward of her own volition but Sasori jerked back his puppet in time to avoid damage.

Sakura is wounded. Preferably the leg.

Thousands of arms shot out from the Kazekage's split extremity, all aiming for Sakura. The girl's eyes widened as the quick limbs closed in on her.

Tsunade's teachings shot through Sakura with fervor:_ No medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon._

As the hands struck the ground, they sent up a plume of dust and smoke which blocked both Sasori and Chiyo's vision. As the cloud cleared, however, both could see Sakura's entangled body wrapped around the puppet's limbs. She'd managed to twist her body enough to avoid them entirely, a fact that clearly didn't excite Sasori.

Sasori's little finger wiggled and Chiyo immediately reacted. She tugged Sakura from the jumble of arms. The kunoichi tumbled over the rough rock floor a few times before stopping herself. She unsteadily pushed herself to a sitting position.

"Sakura. Get out of here."

The pinkette was stunned out of battle-mode by Chiyo's sudden command. "W-what?"

"Did you think I didn't notice that punch you gave Hiroku?" Chiyo's thin lips formed a smirk. "That wasn't my doing."

"N-no but I—"

Chiyo shouted louder. "This is impossible for you! Go on! Get out! You clearly don't belong in the Akatsuki. Your friends are outside. They could use your help."

_Am I so easy to read?_ Sakura thought with mild self-loathing. The girl rose up as a numbness invaded her body. Run? She could be free? She wouldn't have to play this game with Sasori or any of the other members. She would get to see her family again. She would get to see Naruto.

"They won't trust me," Sakura replied meekly.

"The blond one does," Chiyo snapped angrily, annoyed that Sakura didn't know this simple fact.

Yes, she knew Naruto still trusted her. For now. But if she chose to go further down this path, she may lose that trust. She didn't want to lose that. Nothing meant more than Naruto's trust.

Sakura nodded her head. "Alright. I'll bring back help. Wait for me."

Chiyo's wrinkled brow smoothed the slightest as relief washed over her aged face. "I will."

The girl spun on her heels and bolted for the wide open entry way. However, her speed slowed and her excitement faltered. She paused just before leaving the shadows of the cave and entering into light of the outside world.

She was running.

Like she always did.

And why? So she could see her family and friends. Wasn't that selfish? She was useful right where she was. She'd barely been in the Akatsuki for a month and she already had access to nearly every member. She was with them constantly. Like right now, she was close enough to kill Sasori; victory was within her reach. Even if she was struck down by Leader later, she had rid the world of one dangerous villain. There would be one less person out there to hurt her loved ones.

Sakura didn't understand when she began to believe in Itachi but she did now. He was right. There was a time to strike within the Akatsuki and it wasn't now. She'd have to stay within the terrorist group so that she could be of use later on in the game. In the Leaf village, she always stood in Tsunade or Naruto's shadow; it was what she was good at apparently.

_So,_ she thought, _why not hide out in the Akatsuki's shadow and take them down when I have the chance?_

An image of a single mysterious person came to mind – the Leader. She would take every last one of these bastards down from the inside if she had to, including that man. She would learn from them and strike when least expected. Fate had throw her in this situation and she would be a fool to ignore the opportunity. Sakura turned around to face the enemy. Her fists clenched at her sides and she stood straight.

"I have to stop solving problems that only help the present. I have to start thinking about solving problems that will help the future," Sakura's eyes narrowed as her intense gaze locked with Sasori's. "And he's one problem I just can't ignore."

Sasori rolled his eyes.

"I can handle this!" Chiyo yelled unexpectedly.

Sakura ignored the woman's cries._ There must be something even I can do. This has to be it..._

"You could go home." Chiyo argued, frustrated by the girl's defiance.

_There's no place for me there anymore._

Sakura turned around to face the Sand relatives and determination emanated from her small frame. "Chiyo, please use me!"

Shocked by the girl's declaration, Chiyo only stared with her mouth agape.

"If you use me," Sakura explained, "the Iron Sand can't stop my moves."

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this."

"I'm okay." Sakura's eyes blazed as renewed strength poured into her limbs. She yanked her gloves down further on her hand. Sakura felt tiny pin pricks as Chiyo's thin cords of chakra seeped into her body. Without hesitation, the girl charged forward, a grin on her face. The Kazekage's Iron Sand shifted into a sharp spike that was enormous in size and propelled itself towards her.

**_ I've waited for my chance to protect my friends._**

Chiyo yanked the girl to safety just as the ground shattered below her.

**_ I can wait a little more to get my hands on you bastards._**

Sakura's head shot up just in time to see a rectangular rock barreling down towards her. The kunoichi rolled back, sliding on her feet to safety.

**_ And when I catch you..._**

The Kazekage puppet paused as his master halted the attacks momentarily.

**_ I'm going to kill you._**

The girl's green eyes blazed with fire. "Here I come."

••••••••

Itachi touched a hand to his forehead.

"What's wrong? Got a headache?" Kisame asked, glancing at his partner.

"It's nothing," Itachi murmured even as the pain throbbed in his temple.

"Sakura is a medical ninja. Why haven't you gone to her yet?" Kisame chuckled. "I mean, she might kill you but it's worth a shot."

Itachi didn't respond to his companion's playful banter.

"She might not even be alive," Kisame added absently as if speaking to himself. "I have no doubt she's provoked Sasori's anger already. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her."

_She's not dead._

The sudden thought startled him. He didn't trust others' abilities. Ever. Why was he now? Especially with someone so weak. He placed a hand over his chest as if by touching his heart he could find the answers he desperately needed. Was what he was doing right? Was it smart?

His heart was silent.

Itachi lowered his hand to his side dejectedly. "We have a mission to worry about. Don't concern yourself with that girl."

Kisame snorted and replied with sarcasm, "Yeah, I'll try not to beat myself up over it too much."

••••••••

"Hah!" the pink-haired girl shouted as she smashed her fist into the rectangular block of Iron Sand. The force from her punch sent it spiraling towards Sasori, who barely managed to dodge it. The redhead glared at the kunoichi annoyed by her sudden revival.

Sakura's foot smashed into the rectangular figure and sent it flying through the ceiling of the cave. The block or Iron Sand was stuck. Jagged rocks rained down on Sasori from the ceiling but the red-haired men could care less. His unwavering gaze remained locked on Sakura's form. The pink-haired girl struck the pyramidal structure and it too crashed into the cavern ceiling. Sakura glanced up as a chunk of the ceiling gave way above her. Rocks now fell freely from the ceiling as the entire cavern began to collapse in on itself and, suddenly, Sakura was bathed in pure sunlight from the outside world. In a matter of moments, the whole fighting arena was completely drenched in the same golden sunlight. Sakura felt exposed as she stared at the gaping hole above her. If any of her friends came by to see the commotion, they would see her. Sakura shuddered at the second possibility that Zetsu was watching her now. She shook her head, as if the motion would shake such thoughts from her mind.

Chiyo jerked the Leaf Ninja back just in time to avoid being crushed by Sasori's pyramid of Iron Sand. Another attack came and Sakura dodged quickly, unable to stay in one place for too long. She watched Sasori's hands and linked each movement with a corresponding attack until she was able to effortlessly dodge Sasori's attacks just by reading his movements.

"You're strong for a little girl," Sasori's compliment did nothing to brighten Sakura's mood.

Sakura charged as Sasori bent one of his fingers and sent the pyramid her way. The girl thrust her arm forward and smashed the solidified black sand away from her as the rectangle came next. She struck that too and sent it crashing into the pyramid.

"Have you learned my attack patterns?" Sasori asked as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I had a good teacher," Sakura grinned as she recalled all of the tough lessons Tsunade had instilled in her. The pink-haired kunoichi recited one of Tsunade's lessons effortlessly, "Watch the enemies movements closely. Before their attack. During their attack. After their attack. Don't overlook any little movement. A fixed pattern is always revealed when they move."

Sasori seemed unamused by Tsunade's teachings and jerked his arms as the sharp pyramid and rectangle collided purposefully. The pinkette swiped the sleeve of her Akatsuki robe across her bottom lip, grimacing as the rough fabric touched her battered face. Her shoulders shook as she sucked in painful lungfuls of dusty air.

Sasori paused in his attack to taunt Sakura. "What's wrong? Tired already?"

Sakura grabbed a fistful of her robe and tore the fabric free from her body. The garment drifted to the floor softly.

Sasori's thumb twitched and kunai burst out of the Kazekage's arm jungle. Sakura snatched a kunai out of her back pocket and effortlessly batted the weapons away. They stuck into the ground around her and Sakura positioned herself into a defensive stance.

The puppet master wiggled his finger and the Third Kazekage leapt into action before Sakura could blink. The Kazekage wasn't aimed at Sakura, however; it had its eyes set on another. Sakura dashed forward and raced to get to the woman in time. Before the girl reached her though, Chiyo had produced scrolls from her sleeves and conjured up two puppets. The Kazekage puppet stopped mid-lunge.

Sakura slid to the woman's side before looking up to find Sasori's face locked in an expression of mild surprise. Chiyo's puppets' heads hung low as if to keep their identity a secret but the young puppet master knew exactly who they were. "Oh...those things," he muttered.

"You remember them?" Chiyo mused. "They were the first puppets you ever created."

One puppet's head popped up and Chiyo introduced him. "The Father."

The second puppet's head shot up at Chiyo's call. "The Mother."

"So, what do you plan to do with those old things now?" Sasori asked, tilting his head to the side. "I made them. I know all of their tricks."

Chiyo's reply alluded to the opposite, "Do you? Do you really?"

Chiyo's puppets placed their palms together and, when they pulled apart, thick strands of wire formed between their hands. Chiyo's puppets bolted forward; the wire between them flapped in the wind. Sasori's Kazekage retracted its many arms from the ground and launched them all at The Father and The Mother. The paired puppets ensnared the Kazekage's many arms between their wire and chopped off the wooden limbs. They repeated the process and sliced the Kazekage's arms repeatedly with the wire until Sasori pulled his puppet back.

The Kazekage didn't stay back for long, however. The puppet lurched forward as a spinning metal blades burst from its left arm. Chiyo's puppets produced weapons of their own and the two forces collided.

Sakura jolted as she realized she had been staring with fascination at the two puppet masters. Grandmother and grandson moved with precision; every twitch of their hand brought another blow to the other side. Chiyo's puppets were simpler but effective. Sasori's Kazekage, on the other hand, was heavily armed and quick but couldn't seem to defeat the other puppets. Both puppet masters moved so quickly it was almost sickening to watch. Sparks flew and metal clashed but still the puppets pressed on. When they pulled apart, all of the current weapons on both sides looked as if they'd been ground in to dust.

"This is taking too long," Sasori grumbled as he formed a hand sign. Blue light emanated from the Third Kazekage's chest as Sasori rasped, "Iron Sand: Unleashed."

The black sand condensed into sharp brambles, which erupted from the Kazekage's chest and grew at a rapid rate. Sakura stepped back, unsure of what was happening, and watched carefully. _It's range is huge._ She noted as the thicket grew.

"Watch out!" Chiyo shouted as she pulled Sakura out of harm's way.

Spears of black sand pierced the ground where Sakura had stood and the girl felt her heart thunder in her chest. One particular spear shot down and broke up the rock beneath Chiyo. The force of the attack caused Sakura to stumble erratically as the ground shifted uncontrollably. Sakura turned back just in time to see a rock land on Chiyo and pin the aged woman to the ground.

Sakura leapt off of the trembling Earth and used the momentum to land a solid blow to the Kazekage puppet's face. It shattered against her strength and dropped to the ground uselessly. She scowled down at the puppet which had once been a human. Now it was nothing but a broken weapon.

Much like Sasori's last puppet, the Third Kazekage had one final trick. As his pieces hit the ground, sebon exploded from his limbs. Sakura's breathing steadied as concentration became key. She twisted her body, writhing sporadically to dodge the thin sebon from slicing her open. Her feet moved on their own and whether from years of training or Chiyo's assistance, Sakura couldn't tell.

As a thin sebon shot by her hand, the quick pinkette reached out to grasp it carefully in her gloved hand. With one swift movement, she leapt up and jabbed the weapon straight though Sasori's upper arm. The man seemed surprised by the attack but not distressed that his own poison had now entered his system.

His large eyes dropped to the sebon sticking out of his arm and a metaphorical shadow covered his features. When his gaze met hers, Sakura's heart beat in double time. Was he immune to the poison? Sakura chided herself for not thinking of that question sooner.

"That wasn't very nice."

"You threw them first," Sakura managed to say around her fear.

Sasori chuckled, entertained by her retort. "I suppose that's true."

She disliked being this close to Sasori. He was the reason she had scars on her body. Despite this, he wasn't the one Sakura hated most – that honor went to the man who'd captured her.

The redhead clutched a fist full of his robe and yanked at the fabric. Buttons snapped as they were forcefully ripped apart and Sasori tossed the garment to the ground. _(Anii comment: Yeah, Sasori, take it off! Whooo!)_ Sakura recoiled from the sight.

"You see, girl, poison doesn't work on this body." Sasori put a hand on his hip. "You're more than welcome to try something stupid like that again, however. It will make killing you easier."

Sasori's body was completely artificial; he wasn't just a puppet master, he was a puppet as well. His limbs look as if they had been painstakingly pieced together to mimic a human form – Sasori's human form. His stomach was completely open and there was a long silver rope drenched in poison wound up tight inside of his torso. Fat blades stuck out of his elbow and a row of scrolls ran down his spine.

Sakura asked the obvious question. "Why the hell are you trying to kill me? I was supposed to help you."

Sasori snorted with laughter. "Seriously? Help me? That's cute."

"If I bother you so much, why didn't you send me with Deidara?"

"I couldn't _accidentally_ kill you if you were with that idiot."

The pinkette's brow furrowed. "You planned on killing me from the start."

Sasori lifted his hands in an innocent shrug.

"You could have killed me when we were in the desert," Sakura argued.

"I wouldn't have a perfect excuse like this, which Grandma Chiyo provided for me."

"You would kill your own teammate?" Chiyo asked, clearly disturbed but not surprised by this.

"In order to be teammates, you have to play for the same team," Sasori retorted.

Sakura blanched. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The puppeteer rolled his eyes as if the answer were obvious. "I tortured you for days and you didn't even hurl an insult my way," Sasori leaned in closer to whisper menacingly, "There's no way in hell that you would give up that kind of loyalty after one session with Itachi. People break under Itachi's torture, not join sides."

Sakura didn't respond. Had she been so easy to read? Would the others notice? Had they already noticed? Were more of them planning on killing her like Sasori had been.

"Unless your session with the Uchiha involved more than mind games. Something more physical, perhaps?"

Sakura's temper flared as a fierce blush spread across her skin at his implication.

"What's the matter? Weren't you going to finish me off?" Sasori taunted.

"Move, girl!"

Sakura bolted to the left without entirely knowing why. When she looked back, Sasori was pinned to the wall by an indistinguishable creature. A seal circled around the man's body and his head hung low. Chiyo straightened herself. Her face was more solemn looking than a victorious person's should look.

Something shifted behind the old woman and Sakura's scream caught in her throat. She jerked her head to the side; Sasori's puppet body was still pinned there to the wall. If he was dead, how could he possibly control another puppet?

Without wasting another moment, Sakura took off. Her tired feet carried her over the wreckage until she launched herself at the moving being and tackled it to the ground. Something sharp sliced clean through the skin along her stomach and Sakura rolled away from the entity.

When her head had stopped spinning, she saw that Chiyo was now on high alert and watching the cloaked figure with uncertainty. Sakura tried to move to her feet but searing pain shot from her stomach and pulsated to the rest of her body. She glanced down at the fresh cut on her stomach and pressed a hand to it timidly. It wasn't deep so it shouldn't cause her this much pain. As nausea washed over her, the pinkette came to the sickening realization that she had been poisoned.

As if reading her thoughts, Sasori called out to taunt her, "You should have expected that."

The cloaked figure tossed back his hood and Sasori's head lolled to the side with a disgustingly satisfied gleam in his eyes. He was locked in a stare down with his grandmother and the only one between them was Sakura.

"Sakura." Chiyo's voice was firm as her keen eyes locked on to Sasori. "You need to run."

Sakura clutched her arm, which was now beginning to burn. The poison had already spread so quickly and now it was doing its worst. _Please,_ Sakura begged her body, _hold out for just a little longer._

"We tried that already, old woman," Sasori taunted. "Or has your old age made you forget."

The crone ignored her grandson and continued speaking directly to Sakura. "That poison is lethal. You need to run and maybe your friends can get you to the slug-girl in time."

"I can't go—"

"You can make it. Go!"

Sakura climbed to her feet with difficulty. "No, you don't understand. I won't go. I won't run."

Chiyo whipped her head around so she could stare aghast at the pinkette. "What are you doing!?"

"I'm not"-her legs were shaking and her breathing was labored-"going to run away anymore."

_Just hold on a little longer,_ she begged her body.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off of the opponent," Sasori chided as he lunged at the old woman.

"Be quiet!" Sakura smashed her fist into Sasori's chest.

Instantaneously, his puppet pieces scattered and Sakura watched with disbelief as they clattered to the ground uselessly. Defeating Sasori was that easy?

Sakura dropped her fist; that punch had sapped an incredible amount of energy from her. Her knees knocked together as they trembled beneath her weight. She doubled over, convinced she was going to vomit, but used breathing techniques to stave off the nausea. _Don't give up yet, _she told herself.

"You did it." The old woman looked like she was going to be sick as well.

Sakura lifted her head to give the crone a shaky smile. "We did."

"Did what?" That voice swiped the smile right off of the young kunoichi's face.

A fist connected with her head and the girl dropped like a leaf to the hard ground as stars danced before her eyes.

"Don't get cocky," Sasori warned. "Arrogance doesn't suit a weakling like you."

A blade shot down out of Sasori's wrist and a bead of purple poison dripped from the tip. He stepped over Sakura's body with his green gaze on his relative. "I've got business to settle with you, old woman."

"No," Sakura cried feebly. The pinkette latched onto the puppeteer's waist, using all of her strength to keep him from moving.

Sasori's head whirled around. "Let go."

"I won't," Sakura hissed through clenched teeth.

It was getting harder to breathe; her lungs burned more and more with each exhale. Her arms trembled pathetically but she held on firmly. _Just a little more..._

Sasori let out a sigh. "You're incorrigible."

He stuck her nose with his elbow with enough force to send her head back with a sickening snap. Still, the girl didn't let go.

"You're dying. You can't win. Let go."

Sakura glanced over at Chiyo and noted the slightest twitch of the woman's two index fingers.

"Okay." The pinkette released the redhead as he had ordered and stumbled away from him just as two puppet's burst from the wreckage.

Their blade stabbed through Sasori's sides and drove their poisoned tips straight through the cylinder in the redhead's chest. Sasori finally revealed his humanity when bright red blood spurted from his mouth and dribbled down his chin.

A hysteric laugh escaped from his bloody lips. "I lost..."

Chiyo didn't look the least bit happy. Sakura could see how the older woman might be saddened over the sight of her grandson pinned in a deadly embrace by the puppet replicas of his parents. She didn't hold it against the woman when a tear trailed down her wrinkled cheek.

"Sakura."

The pinkette was startled by Sasori's voice and thought it was a hallucination brought on by her addled brain. She wasn't even sure he'd ever said her name before. It sounded strange to hear it come from him now as they were both dying.

"Come here," he commanded.

Weary, Sakura didn't move.

"Come. _Here_." His lack of patience showed itself even as he was at Death's door.

This time, the girl complied and trudged closer to the puppeteer. Walking was difficult; her feet seemed to find all sorts of things to trip over. She moved around to face him completely. She straightened her back and made her gaze firm even though her vision was slowly beginning to tunnel.

"I didn't think you would be able to defeat me." He choked slightly on his own blood and cleared his throat. "I'll give you a reward for that."

A thick cloud filled her skull. She could hardly focus on the words pouring from the redhead's mouth. She could feel herself swaying on her feet. _Just a little longer._

Sasori smirked. "My reward may not mean much since you're going to die anyway, but no one can say I'm not a fair loser."

_Hold out for just a little longer. I only need a few more minutes._ She clenched her fists and jaw tightly - anything to keep herself conscious.

"There's so much that you Leaf brats don't know. The—"

Sakura groaned as her body responded with a resounding "time's out". She could see Sasori's lips move but the ringing in her ears was too loud. Her body lurched to the side as her sight winked out. She didn't even remember hitting the ground.

* * *

**Again, I apologize for the plethora of mistakes. I will get down to editing soon.**

**I'm much happier with how things are going and the romance aspect will be introduced soon. That's also a promise :)**

**Have a wonderful Mother's Day.**

**Review or Favorite - whatever floats your boat** _- Anii_


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry that this chapter is so short.**

**I won't make excuses but I just hope that the next few chapters make up for it ;)**

***hint hint***

_- Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 6: ****"All the right friends in all the right places."**

_**― All the Right Moves by One Republic**_

"What a mess," Deidara sighed as he stepped into the wrecked cavern.

He kicked aside a lifeless puppet and glanced at Sasori's dead "body". The puppeteer was face down on the ground with a dark pool beneath him. _You really let that old woman beat you...?_

Deidara grumbled about his luck; he'd lost both of his arms, the Jinchuriki, and his partner all in one day. Now he was suddenly cursed with a bumbling idiot as his new partner. The artist grimaced as the aforementioned idiot bellowed in his obnoxious voice, "I found it! Look, Deidara!"

"Found _what_, Tobi?" Deidara hissed through clenched teeth.

"The ring!" Tobi yanked Sasori's ring from his finger and slipped it over his own. "How does it look? I wonder if I can become a member of the Akatsuki now. One slot has opened up." He giggled and flung the ring into the air.

"It's not that easy," Deidara ground his teeth together as he struggled not to beat Tobi senseless.

"Huh? Deidara, I found something else," Tobi called.

Deidara spun around, ready to unleash hell on the annoying man but halted when he saw what exactly Tobi had found.

"This girl...this is Sakura, isn't it?" Tobi asked as he crouched beside the unconscious girl.

It was. What the hell happened to her? She looked like shit. Scrapes and bruises adorned her sickly pale skin and blood stained her clothing. She didn't even look alive. Deidara moved closer to examine the gaping hole in the girl's shirt. The black shirt was sliced open but the flesh beneath was undamaged. Also, along the ragged edges of the torn fabric was a stain that didn't smell like blood. Deidara instantly recognized the color and smell as Sasori's poison. The blond glanced over his shoulder at his dead companion's body. Did Sasori intentionally poison Sakura? Deidara puffed out a sigh, _It's more likely that the idiot got in the way while Sasori was attacking._

"I'm not getting blamed for both of my partners dying. Tobi, reach in my back pocket and get out the syringe there. And if you get handsy, I'll bitch-slap the shit out of you with my foot," the artist grumbled.

"Ooh~! What do we have here?" Tobi sang cheerfully as he pulled free the antidote.

Deidara jerked his head towards Sakura. "Good, now give her that."

Tobi complied with Deidara's orders and jabbed the needle into the girl's flesh; she didn't even flinch.

Deidara stood up straight and watched the girl carefully. "I kept an antidote with me just in case Sasori ever tried anything. His poisons are deadly," he muttered aloud. His thoughts turned inward as they got darker, _Which is why it doesn't make sense that she's still alive. Especially if he was using his more potent version._

_Not my problem_, Deidara finally decided as he turned away from the pair. "Let's get back, Tobi. Bring the girl."

••••••••

Sakura felt a sensation like ice water flowing through her veins and her eyes snapped open. She sucked in a deep, warm, dusty breath of air and gagged on it. That single breath was divine; it meant she was alive.

"Oh, Sakura! You're awake!"

The loud voice aggravated the headache making her temples pulsate but it was nice to hear any sounds at all. Her head felt heavy and she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"What happened to—" Sakura cut herself off from saying Chiyo's name. She didn't see the woman's corpse anywhere nearby so the pinkette hoped that the old woman had escaped.

"Sasori is dead," the cheerful man from before stated rather bluntly.

"Right." Sakura remembered that much.

The girl attempted to sit up but was hit so suddenly with dizziness that she nearly vomited. The masked man grasped her shoulder and called out her name. It was as if she were listening to him from underwater. Her eyes turned to the blond who stood with his back to her. The last thing she noticed before falling back into unconsciousness was the way his long hair swayed against his back.

••••••••

Tsunade stared thoughtfully out of the window in her silent office. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back as she ground her teeth together. Tension was running high in the building and she could feel it even from her office. She wanted nothing more than to get away from it. The day had been nothing but bad news piled on top of more shit.

First, she'd been brought an unexpected guest two days ago—Kankuro—who'd been aboard one of Sai's birds with a simple note attached. The note, written by Naruto, hadn't given the woman much information. All it said was that Kankuro had been poisoned by Sasori of the Red Sand. Unfortunately, the poison was tougher to deal with than Tsunade had realized. The boy lay in a coma now; it was the best they could do until a cure could be found.

When Kakashi and his team had returned, things had only gotten worse. While in the hospital, Kakashi had delivered a message from the now-dead Lady Chiyo. According to the silver-haired jonin, Chiyo had been so secretive of the message while they returned with the Kazekage that she had let no one read it. _The only one who can see this is slug-girl! _the crone had declared when asked about her mystery note.

Tsunade turned slightly to glance at the parchment, which now lay open on her desk. It told a disturbing and heart-wrenching tale of a pink-haired girl caught up in the iron clutches of the Akatsuki. Tsunade bowed her head and let out a tremendous sigh as the sun sunk below the horizon and colored the world in an orange haze. How could things have turned sour so quickly?

A masked man appeared behind Tsunade and the Hokage simply flicked her gaze over to the ninja. "That was fast."

"I heard it was a matter of urgency," the man replied.

The ninja was a high-ranking agent of ANBU with a long list of credentials. Under the Third Hokage, this masked man had risen to the top with the best performance record. He had many unique abilities and devotion, which made him suitable for the task Tsunade had planned.

"Do you know why you're here?" Tsunade questioned, still facing her window.

"Not quite."

"Remove your mask," the Hokage ordered gruffly. "From this moment on, you'll be known as Yamato. Are we clear?"

The man immediately removed his mask. "Yes, ma'am."

"You will have two tasks. One for the good of the Village"—Tsunade bowed her head and her voice softened—"and one for me."

••••••••

The first thing she felt was the cool stroke against her cheek. Sakura's consciousness slowly came back to her and one by one her senses returned. She could hear the soft whistle of the wind and feel the warmth on her skin. Fresh air pumped into her lungs as opposed to the stale, dusty air of the cave she thought she'd died in. She stretched out her fingers, testing her limbs individually before cracking her eyelids open. She winced as sunlight assaulted her sensitive green eyes and blinked away the stinging pain. She carefully lifted a hand to block the majority of the sunlight from piercing her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Good morning!" someone shouted.

His voice was so unbearably loud that it made Sakura cringe. "W-who—"

"Tobi! For the last time, shut the hell up or I'm going to kick your ass off. You haven't taken Sasori's place just yet, you bastard!" Deidara shouted angrily.

Sakura stared up at the expanse of blue before her. "Where am I?"

Deidara's reply was simple, "The sky."

She scrunched up her nose with displeasure at his snarky response. The girl rested her forearm over her eyes as she felt a painful throb in her skull. She called out to Deidara in an even tone; she didn't want either man to hear her fear. "I can't feel my legs."

"That's a side effect of the antitode."

"How'd you get a hold of something like that?"

Deidara was clearly annoyed that she'd woken up and started interrogating him. "You've got your secrets and I've got mine."

"Am I going to be punished?" Sakura asked meekly.

"What for?"

There were a lot of things that popped up in her mind but Sakura ignored them and chose the safest one. "For not completing the mission."

Deidara's casual response was shocking to say the least, "The mission was a success. We were told to capture the One Tail and we did. Sasori told you to stay back and paid the price. It was a regretful casualty but death isn't uncommon in our group."

"You couldn't have healed him anyway, Sakura!" the cheerful Tobi chipped in. "He had no body to heal and he was stabbed with his own poison. We aren't even sure why you didn't die from it!"

Sakura pursed her lips. The same question had been running through her groggy mind since she'd woken up. She conjured up her fuzzy memories, trying to pinpoint the exact moment she lost consciousness, but only succeeded in giving herself a headache.

"Oh, look below!" Tobi cried.

Sakura managed to prop herself up on her elbows to peer down where Tobi was pointing. Scattered across the ground were the remains of some ancient, caved-in tunnel system.

"What is it?" Sakura asked groggily, not understanding Tobi's fascination.

Surprisingly, Deidara was the one to answer her question, "That's one of Orochimaru's old hideouts. It was recently in use until Orochimaru moved to his current one. No doubt to train that bastard."

Sakura's eyes widened and she stared down at the ruins with more focus. "Orochimaru...?"

The pinkette imagined Sasuke below in one of those tunnels. She'd tried hard not to think so much about Sasuke but it was hard not to now. She wondered if he'd grown at all: emotionally and physically. She wondered if he regretted his decision to leave. Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled her last few seconds with her childhood love. All of the hurt from that moment swarmed back and melded with her current physical pain. Exhausted, Sakura laid back on the bird and groaned as a wave of nausea washed over her.

"You're just grumpy because you don't like the Uchiha's," Tobi pouted. He clearly wasn't happy about having his discovery rained on by Deidara.

"Why do you hate the Uchiha's?" Sakura blurted.

"Itachi was the one who brought Deidara to the Akatsuki," Tobi informed.

An aura of anger and hatred emanated from the blond

"Tobi, what did I tell you about talking!?" Deidara snarled, his voice heavy with ire.

"N-not to do it?" Tobi was practically sweating bullets.

Deidara lifted his leg and aimed his foot at Tobi. The masked man squealed with fear and threw his hands in the air. "Please don't kick me off! Tobi will be—"

_Thwup_

Deidara's foot slammed into Tobi's chest and the masked nuisance fell over the edge of the bird.

••••••••

Sakura hopped down from the bird with only a slight stumble. As her feet hit the soft grass, she was surprisingly thankful to be back. She felt battered and bruised but more alive than she had in a while. Unfortunately, her migraine was bringing down her elation.

"Where's the infirmary?" she asked as her blond companion dropped down beside her.

"Infirmary?" Deidara's eyebrow rose.

Sakura tried again, "A sick bay? A hospital room?"

"I know what an infirmary is," Deidara hissed. "Problem is, we don't _have_ one."

Sakura began to protest, "How could you not have—"

"Take her to Sasori's experiment lab."

Sakura's head snapped in the direction of the voice. Leader had appeared without alerting his presence to anyone until he spoke. Deidara grumbled about how it wasn't in his job description to lead around useless people but did as Leader asked. The trip was short and uneventful—minus the way Deidara kicked in the door.

"Here we are. I don't know what you're going to be able to do in here. This wasn't exactly a place of healing." Deidara leaned up against the door frame as Sakura slipped inside of the dreary room.

She immediately hated the atmosphere. The air felt heavy and scented with death. Still, she thanked Deidara for guiding her but instead of leaving, the blond stayed were he was. Sakura felt along the wall until she found the light switch. The lab had three large metal slabs and dozens of cabinets that held various, suspicious-looking objects. The room was all white and grey with obnoxiously bright overhead lights. Sakura hated to think about what went on in this room. She thought about the Kazekage puppet she'd broken and wondered if he'd been created in this room.

She shoved aside such gruesome thoughts and went to the sink. She cranked the knobs and cold water sprung from the faucet. She dipped her hands beneath the surface and splashed her face. She felt ghostly fingers trail down her spine and swiveled around. She stupidly scanned the room and Deidara stared at her like she had gone insane, "What the hell is wrong with you."

"It feels weird," she managed to force out, "being in the space of a dead man."

Deidara rolled his eyes but seemed appeased by her lame excuse. "Get used to it."

She wasn't creeped out by being in a dead person's space. She was creeped out by being in the space of a person she'd helped kill. She felt like an invader and like the room itself knew her secret and hated her for it. She thought of Sasori in his last moments and immediately her body jolted as if she'd been zapped. Her spine went ramrod straight. Every nerve in her body thrummed and her skin went cold. She called out to Deidara.

"What is it?" His expression darkened as he looked at her and he asked more forcefully, "What?"

"S-Sasori," Sakura stammered. Her mouth was suddenly dry. "Sasori told me something. Something important."

"Well? What was it?" the blond demanded.

She buried her frigid fingers in her hair as her body began to shake. The memory started to fade and the girl groaned. Deidara stormed up beside her and bent down so he was eye level with her.

"Hey! Focus!" the blond spoke slowly and deliberately. "What did Sasori tell you."

"Ten days," the pinkette blurted.

"Ten days until what?"

"There's going to be a meeting." Sakura searched her brain frantically for more information. She didn't like that she was sharing a secret that could benefit the Akatsuki but she needed it out of her system. The memory was like a thorn in her body that was as deadly as Sasori's poison. It were as if the puppeteer were compelling her to speak from the grave. When she finally managed to force the words from her lips, they came out in a rush, "There's going to be a meeting on the Tenchi bridge in ten days."

She panted erratically as if saying such a simple sentence had taken her breath away. She gently placed a hand around her throat and could feel her jugular pulsate insanely against her fingertips. The metaphorical thorn was gone but she was still badly shaken. The pinkette bowed her head with disgust. Sasori hadn't gotten anything out of her in interrogation but he'd certainly got her to crack this time around; the bastard got his revenge. Even deceased, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Deidara smirked as if the same thought had crossed his mind.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to slap that victorious smirk off of his face but instead she rested her hands on the counter and took several deep breaths.

* * *

**I purposefully didn't explain a few things. I really like writing from Tsunade's POV but I don't think she's going to become a major character in this. At least not directly.**

**Review OR Favorite :) Whatever floats your boat! **-Anii


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, all!**

**I hope this chapter and the next few chapters appease those of you dying for some romance! :D**

**I have quite a few lined up for the next few chapters :)**

**So, enjoy!**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 7: "Test my reality; check if there's a weak spot. Clinging to insanity, hopes the world will ease up."**

― _**Make a Move by Icon for Hire**_

Kisame dragged a bare arm across his drenched brow and chuckled gleefully. He flexed his arms and fingers; he couldn't remember the last time he'd worked his body so hard. His chest gleamed with sweat and heaved with each breath he took. He tossed a playful comment Itachi's way, "I'm surprised you had enough energy to keep up with me."

The Uchiha stood barely ten feet away but even then it was hard to see his fatigue with an untrained eye. He didn't make a sound and his face was impassive as ever. His chest hardly moved at all from exertion. A sheen of sweat glistening along the man's muscled, bare torso was the only factor alluding to Itachi's exhaustion.

Kisame grinned, gueinunely impressed that the sick man could keep pace with him. Itachi turned away from his companion and his raven-black hair shifted with the wind. Kisame's sharp senses caught the faintest scent of blood on the breeze.

"Itachi," Kisame grunted lowly. "I didn't see you get cut."

Itachi didn't answer but Kisame didn't need him to. The shark man rolled his shoulders and grunted again to show his displeasure. "You shouldn't train so hard if it takes so much out of you."

Unable to keep his body under control, Itachi broke down into a coughing fit. The pale man haunched his shoulders, coughing excrutiatingly into his palm. Kisame moved towards Itachi and watched as a trail of blood slipped down Itachi's forearm.

"Go take your pills, damn it," Kisame growled, slapping his partner on his back when Itachi choked on his own blood.

The man's crimson gaze became unsteady as sweat gathered on his brow and Kisame thought Itachi might pass out. However, the Uchiha straightened his back and abruptly walked away. Kisame would have bitched if he didn't notice that Itachi was making his way back to the hideout. The shark man's shoulders sagged and he hooked his thumb in his back pockets.

"Dumbass," he muttered.

••••••••

Sakura stood on her tip-toes to rummage through a cupboard in Sasori's lab. For the past three days, she'd done nothing but sit in her room. She was being driven insane by the four walls and had ventured out to the only place she knew she wouldn't be in the way. As far as she could tell, Sasori's lab was rarely visited.

Her hands accidentally knocked over a few empty vials until she found what she was looking for and pulled it out. She grinned down at the mortar but scowled when she realized she hadn't grabbed the matching pestle. She went back up on the tips of her toes to find it when someone stepped into the lab. Sakura immediately recognized Hidan's laugh and spun around. She pressed herself up against the counter as she watched the silver-haired man wearily. _Act calm_, she told herself.

The words didn't do much to alleviate her fear; they only served as a reminder.

"What's wrong, doll?" Hidan teased as he stepped further into the room. "Are you scared?"

Scared wasn't the right word. Terrified was a better choice. Hidan was the only person she hated more than Sasori. Since she'd been here, her interaction with him had been minimal but her fear was always well above the panic level. Everything about her scared him and he was the one person in the whole group who she couldn't imagine killing. Sasori had sparked anger and resentment in her but this freak turned her into a quivering pool of jelly.

"Aw, are you still mad at me for the whole kidnapping thing? I thought I said I was sorry." Hidan cocked his head to the side with mock sincerity.

Sakura's fists clenched but she didn't respond; her fear wouldn't allow her to. She slinked away from him, keeping her back pressed up against the counter as she moved toward the doorway.

"Hey, it worked out didn't it? Now you're on your way to becoming one of us." A sadistic grin twisted his face into a terrifying scene. "In fact, I think you should show me some gratitude."

The silver-haired man's figure shimmered out of view. He cut off Sakura's gasp of surprise as he seized her by the neck and tossed her across the room. Sakura's slammed into one of the metal tables in the room, which screeched from the force. The pinkette quickly scrambled over to the other side of the table just as Hidan lunged at her.

The mad man wanted a fight. Sakura was just thankful he didn't have his scythe.

The callous man's bellowing laughter echoed in the room as he swatted the table out of his way. The heavy object crashed into the wall and sent up a collection of spidery cracks in the smooth surface. She backed away from Hidan. She'd fought him once before and she hadn't stood a chance. She wasn't looking forward to getting beaten to a bloody pulp again simply because he felt like picking a fight.

When Hidan lunged, Sakura's hands latched on to his wrist and she swung him around like a ragdoll. She released him and he crashed into the table, sending the object straight though the wall.

"You bitch!" Hidan hissed as his purple eyes blazed with unkempt anger.

Panic settled in Sakura's chest. Was she really going to fight this man? He was_ immortal_; he'd bragged about it enough in their last match_. _There was no way she could kill him and from the look in Hidan's eyes, it didn't take much to deduce that she wasn't going to get out of this fight with a simple apology. She clutched the front of her shirt nervously and glanced over at the door, praying she could make it to the exit quick enough.

"I'll make you a sacrifice for Lord Jashin! Then _maybe_ you'll be useful!" Hidan howled as he rushed at Sakura.

She threw up her arms to block a kick to the face and slid back from the force. She timidly lowered her arms and Hidan took his chance; he slammed his fist into the girl's stomach and sent her flying backwards. She blasted through the wall and rolled across the hallway floor before gently bumping into the opposite wall. She crawled to her feet as Hidan stormed out of the lab looking similar to an enraged bull. He grabbed the disoriented girl by her neck and threw her down the hall. Sakura heard a sickening crack as if someone had smashed an egg against a rock and pain exploded behind her eyes.

Her vision winked out.

••••••••

Itachi paused in the doorway of the hideout when, without warning, his body convulsed and a ball of fire roiled in his stomach. His vision faltered and he bent over coughing as his chest tightened painfully. The breath was squeezed from his lungs as the pressure in his chest increased. Tears sprang in the corners of his eyes as he coughed harder. When he pulled his hand away from his mouth, bright splashes of crimson painted the palm of his hand.

Itachi felt a cold chill sweep up his spine and he clenched his teeth together as he waited for the pain to subside. A bellowing roar from inside the building made his head snap up in just enough time to see a pink-haired girl fly straight into a wall. Her head cracked loudly as it smacked against the solid surface and she collapsed to the ground in a heap. Ignoring the searing pain pulsating within his body, Itachi rushed inside and held up a hand to block Hidan's punch just before the silver-haired man struck Sakura. Itachi glanced down at the unmoving girl. She was undoubtedly unconscious, Itachi concluded as his blurry eyesight scanned the small kunoichi.

"Enough, Hidan," Itachi insisted as he struggled to hold back his fellow Akatsuki member.

Hidan didn't back down. "Tell your girlfriend not to pick fights she can't finish!"

Out of no where, a fist came around and struck Hidan in the center of his temple. The silver-haired man dropped to the floor to reveal an angry Kakuzu standing behind him. Hidan sat up quickly and shrieked, "What the hell!?"

"What did you do?!" Kakuzu growled with disturbing anger.

Hidan pouted. "Do you have a crush on the girl, Kakuzu?"

"I'm not talking about the girl!" Kakuzu snarled. He gestured towards the hole in the wall behind him. "There are two holes in the lab now. Repairs cost _money_, Hidan!"

"I only made one of those. The other one was her fault," Hidan argued as he adverted his gaze.

Itachi turned away from the Zombie Duo and bent over the kunoichi. He hoped her head injury wasn't too serious and softly called her name.

••••••••

"Sakura."

The girl barely had enough time to register Itachi's steady voice calling her name before he hauled her up into his arms.

Sakura squeaked with alarm and tried to free herself. Unfortunately, a wave of nausea crashed into her chest and her head fell weakly against Itachi's chest. She wanted to cover her face with her hands as humiliation washed over her. She heard Hidan and Kakuzu fighting but, thankfully, neither of them paid attention to her or Itachi as the Uchiha gently carried her back into the lab. He set her on the counter by the medicine cabinets and held onto her shoulders to steady her. When he was sure she could sit up unaided, his thumb and index finger captured her small face. He slowly turned her head from side to side and examined her intently. Sakura winced as the movement sent searing pain straight through her skull like hot iron spikes.

Her wince caught his attention and he cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm fine," the pinkette insisted. Her voice shook traitorously.

Itachi didn't respond. He simply moved away momentarily to soak a small rag beneath the steady stream of water pouring from the faucet. When he moved back, Sakura sucked in a deep breath and edged herself back. He was standing so close. Her chest pulled in on itself as he moved closer. Her heart pounded against her rib cage and came dangerously close to breaking free.

A shakey exhale passed over her lips as she found herself mesmerized by the strangely gentle man who dabbed the dripping wet rag to her throbbing forehead. His eyes didn't meet hers so the sense of unease that Itachi usually invoked in the young girl stayed at bay.

Much to her surprise, Sakura's eyes took this opportunity to examine the S-rank murderer. She'd heard Itachi's name around the Leaf Village when she was younger; usually, it was whispered. She hadn't known what to expect of the famed Uchiha murder's appearance but she hadn't expected him to look so normal. Well, normal wasn't exactly the right word; Itachi looked like the epitome of a fallen angel.

His face was smooth except for the two tear troughs running from his eyes to his cheeks at an angle. His raven black hair was long and hung behind his back in a loose ponytail. A simple silver necklace hung around his neck. She'd never noticed it before and she had to grip the edge of the counter to keep from reaching out and touching it. His blazing eyes danced as he examined her. Under that intense stare, Sakura felt her palms grow sweaty with nerves and her fingers shook noticeably as they gripped the counter's edge harder. She realized he'd asked her a question but she'd been too busy checking him out to respond. Itachi's lips twitched as if he were going to smile at the sight of the dumbfounded expression on her face.

He repeated himself, "I asked if you could turn your head for me."

Sakura did so and Itachi's eyes narrowed. A spark of emotion flickered in his eyes. Sakura knew that emotion: it was anger. What was he angry at? Was he suddenly angry with her? Sakura felt the blood drain from her face. She'd been knocked unconscious when she pissed off Hidan. She didn't want to think about what Itachi would do to her if he was angry.

"Can you heal yourself?" Itachi asked.

Sakura nodded meekly as she searched for the anger in his eyes that she'd only seen moments before. It was gone. Had she imagined it?

"What's this?" a familiar, taunting voice asked.

Sakura jolted so hard that her knees bumped up against Itachi's hips. Standing in the doorway, Kisame cocked his head to the side and grinned. Even while smiling, the blue-skinned man looked terrifying.

"Here I was, all worried about you and thinking you'd run off like a good boy to get your pills. But no, here you are with her." Kisame's playful tone didn't help Sakura's embarrassment.

"Oh, don't mind me," the shark man insisted when the two only stared at him. "Pretend I'm not here."

He deliberately met Sakura's gaze and taunted her, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Shut up," Sakura snapped.

She gasped, horrified by her mouth's betrayal. _You already got in one fight today, you dolt! Do you want another beating!? Is it your goal today to piss off every Akatsuki member!?_

Kisame only chuckled, however. He seemed honestly amused by her retort and simply walked out into the hallway. His reaction stunned the girl, who sat on the counter like a frozen gargoyle. She'd just told a terrorist to shut up and he _laughed_. That didn't make sense and it left her brain fried.

Itachi exhaled, bringing her attention back to him. Her skin crawled as she realized just how close she'd been to the Uchiha. She wanted nothing more to punch him in the face and run away but she was afraid of that haze she'd been locked in moments ago. She feared that touching him would bring back the same feeling. She refused to be swallowed by that haze again. She defiantly jerked her head to the side and the air in the room immediately cleared. Sensing the change, Itachi backed away. Sakura dropped down from the counter and sagged against it. Her breathing was erratic as she tried to regain her bearings.

Her whole world felt flipped upside down.

••••••••

Deidara leaned back in his chair, ankles crossed over one another casually. His anger, however, was near its boiling point. He was sick of waiting for Leader to make his appearance. Deidara began to put his hands behind his head but was stopped by his, well, lack of hands. The dismembered man wanted to flap his nubs around chaotically with frustration. "God damnit!" the artist shrieked as he smashed his foot into another chair.

The piece of furniture flew across the room and exploded into a shower of splinters just as the door opened. The door opened and Kakuzu stepped forward only to be showered with pieces of wood. His eyes blazed with contempt. "If one more person in this house breaks something, I'm going to start smashing skulls."

"Just fix me," Deidara shot back.

A growl reverberated in Kakuzu's throat but the man didn't immediately throttle his armless companion so Deidara took it as a good sign.

"Why'd it take so long. I haven't had arms for three freaking days," Deidara complained.

"I had to get the right pieces for you." Kakuzu pulled a severed arm from his black bag. "Normal pieces wouldn't do."

Deidara stared at the new arm and felt his lip pull back in a snarl. "It's not the same skin tone as me but it'll do."

Kakuzu looked ready to slap Deidara with the arm he was holding. "Just sit there and shut up."

The covered man began the long task without a word to the blond. It didn't matter, however, because Deidara spoke enough for the both of them, "Where the hell has Leader been? You'd think he'd want his information immediately, not three days after the event."

The repeated sensation of the needle piercing his flesh did nothing to deter Deidara from his rampage. "What the hell was so important that he had to leave for three freaking days?"

"Contain yourself, Deidara." Leader entered the room with his female shadow on his coat tails.

"Ah, finally." The blond artist smirked and didn't even attempt an excuse; he didn't care if Leader had heard everything. Deidara never tried to hide how he truly felt about the bastard.

Leader sat down at the table with Konan standing patiently beside him. "Well?"

Deidara snorted and adverted his gaze. "Well, what?"

"What happened?" Leader asked, clearly annoyed that he was repeating himself.

"Sasori died. Isn't that obvious?" Deidara's blue eyes rolled in their sockets.

"Don't make a fool of me!" Leader barked. "What happened with the girl?"

Deidara let out a long sigh to display his annoyance at the situation. "She was a real pain in my ass. She hardly spoke and she just stood there most of the time."

"Why wasn't she with you? Why was she with Sasori in the cave?" Leader demanded.

The blond shrugged. "I tried to take her with me but Sasori refused."

Leader sighed heavily. "She was supposed to go with you. She would have been useless with Sasori as her partner."

"I didn't make the decision."

"No, _I_ did." The air in the room grew tense as Leader's voice echoed in the large room. "And Sasori disobeyed those orders."

"What are you going to do? Punish him?" Deidara wanted to laugh. "He's dead. Can't do much to him now."

"Don't be insolent."

Deidara's anger boiled over and he stood up abruptly. Kakuzu shouted with dismay as the action caused his thread to snap. Deidara's blue gaze was fierce as he stared down at Leader. "Hey, in case you forgot, I'm here because I lost a bet. I'm not here to serve as your play thing, damn it."

"How did the girl get injured?" Konan broke in.

Deidara fell back against his chair. "Don't know. Wasn't there."

Kakuzu seized Deidara's half-attached arm and growled out a warning, "Don't move."

"Sasori disobeyed me for a reason." Leader thought aloud.

"Did the girl kill him?" Konan asked bluntly.

Deidara shook his head. "Not unless she's a puppet master. Sasori was killed by two puppets. They used his own poisoned weapons against his weak spot."

"His human core," Leader elaborated with a nod.

Deidara didn't understand why the incident was being scrutinized. There was no way that girl was capable of bringing down Sasori. Her being poisoned was suspicious but even Deidara had to admit that he had feared being posioned for pissing Sasori off one day.

Even if the girl was a rat, he didn't care. If she could bring down the Akatsuki, more power to her. He wasn't exactly fond of the group. The one person he'd repsected in this whole damn organizaton was dead. Whatever was going on, he wasn't going to fuss over it. He was going to do what he'd always done, which was live to show the world his art. When the girl interefered with that, then he would make it his problem.

"Do you think she can be used again?" Leader asked.

Kakuzu had finished with Deidara's right arm and told the blond to flex his fingers. Deidara did so as he responded to Leader's question, "I don't care what you do with her."

Leader's eyebrow twitched upward in a gesture of slight surprise. "Really? You advocated so strongly against her use."

"She's still useless but I'm done arguing over the issue since you clearly think otherwise." Deidara shrugged his one good shoulder as Kakuzu began his work on Deidara's other arm. "I dont' see a need to waste more of my energy on that girl."

"Are you upset over your partner's death?"

"That's none of your business. Just don't partner that girl with me again."

"That's not your decision. I'll put her where she can be used."

Deidara cast a vicious smirk down the table at the Akatsuki leader. "Then don't get mad when I snap her neck."

* * *

**Gotta love Deidara and his mouth xD**

**Again, sorry about editing. I've been crazy busy this past week. I will get around to editing, I promise. **

**Review, Favorite, Run around naked―whatever floats your boat :D **_-Anii_


	8. Chapter 8

**Again, I KNOW Tobi isn't really Madara.**

**But the other characters don't really know that so**

**JUST GO WITH IT! xD**

**Lots of different POVs in this chapter :D**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 8: "Nothing ever stops all these thoughts and the pain attached to them."**

_**― Figure.09 by Linkin Park**_

The machine hissed loudly as Konan tilted her head back so she could look up at her emaciated friend.

"Do you believe she did it?" Nagato wheezed.

Konan shook her head at her friend's question. "Deidara found Sasori impaled by puppets. The girl isn't a puppet master."

"What about her being poisoned? Isn't that suspicious?"

"Sasori's temper and impatience were well known. It's not unlikely that he struck her to get her out of his way. She's a medic. She may have been able to heal herself enough to survive. The results of this test were quiet muddled."

Nagato groaned as he nodded his weary head in agreement. "I was hoping to keep the girl with Sasori and Deidara's team but that is no longer possible."

When Konan did not respond, Nagato looked at the blue-haired woman. "What do you think, Konan? She's your charge."

"Pairing her with Deidara any time soon may be reckless."

Nagato didn't disagree. "Who then?"

Konan pursed her lips; she knew that the others wouldn't like her decision. "Itachi and Kisame."

Her answer startled Nagato and shocked him into a coughing fit. Konan reached out to him but he held up a hand and cleared his throat.

"Why did you come to that decision?" Nagato inquired as he attempted to regain his composure.

"Kakuzu and Hidan don't need her and with Deidara refusing her help, the only two left are Itachi and Kisame." Konan took a cup of water from the table and held it up to her friend's lips. "Itachi's ailment worries me. I don't think he will hold out for much longer."

Nagato swallowed the clear liquid painfully. "Could she cure him?"

"It's not about a cure. If he is sick before, after, or during a battle, she can possibly ease the symptoms enough to keep him away from Death."

Nagato mulled over the idea. "We haven't seen much of her skills just yet."

"Because she was with a partner she couldn't heal," Konan reminded. "This would be the best test for her. To treat a disease that has plagued one of our strongest members for years."

Nagato nodded with compliance. His head bowed with fatigue as other thoughts crossed his mind. "First Itachi advocates for the girl and now Madara. She must truly be worth keeping."

"For now," Konan agreed as she turned her back to him to set the empty glass down.

"Do you still miss him?"

Nagato's abrupt question startled the blue-haired woman, who glanced back to make sure he really had spoken. Nagato awaited her response with agitation. Konan adverted her gaze and brushed her fingers against the table's glossy surface. She didn't have to ask who Nagato was referring to.

"I look at his face every day," she whispered. "But, yes, I miss him. Is that all?"

Nagato looked unusually downtrodden but nodded his head weakly to dismiss her.

••••••••

A warm breeze rolled over Sakura as she lay sprawled out in the vibrant green grass just outside the Akatsuki hideout. She wiggled her fingers and toes, amazed that Deidara's antidote had worked so effectively. Tobi had told her to wait here without giving her much of a reason. Sakura was weary of what mission she would be assigned next. She was already plagued by enough nightmares. She didn't want any more. She was already running on two days without sleep. If more nightmares were added to the mix, she was afraid she'd never sleep again.

The girl chided herself for her poor treatment of her own body. The thought disgusted her but being a medic was the key reason she was allowed to reside in the Akatsuki. Everything she'd learned from her master told her that the medical ninja was the most important member in a group. If they die, the team is doomed. Allowing herself to fall into such ill habits would affect her ability to heal and her concentration. _Even if I'm on a different side, that doesn't mean I should throw my master's teachings to the wind._

Tsunade had never been easy on Sakura but she'd never been intentionally cruel either. It hadn't even taken much to get Tsunade to accept Sakura as a student. Once Tsunade saw Sakura's raw strength, she'd immediately grown attached to the young pinkette. Even with all her regular duties, the Hokage had always made time to teach Sakura a lesson or two. Those lessons had played a huge role in Sakura's victory against Sasori, of which the girl was eternally grateful.

Sakura was startled by the memory of her strength in her previous battle. She lifted her hand so she could stare at it. Without her gloves, the hand looked like a normal hand against a clear blue sky. There was nothing mighty about it. But inside that cave, she'd smashed Sasori's playthings like twigs. For once, she hadn't felt so powerless. For once, she felt like her strength meant something. Sakura was amazed that, in that moment, she'd been so sure and destructive. Had that kind of confidence and power always resided within her?

Puffed up clouds floated across the sky without a care in the world and for a moment, Sakura wished she could be that free. She closed her eyes and put her hand back down in the soft grass.

"First Clause"-reciting the medic ninja code surprisingly calmed the girl-"_No medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end."_

She imagined her life without any worries or troubles. She recalled all of the good times and ignored the bad.

"Second Clause: _No medic ninja shall ever stand on the front lines_."

A bird zoomed by, tweeting frantically as its wings beat against the air. It was an odd sighting. Since she'd been here, Sakura hadn't seen so much as a rat scurrying about. Animals avoided the place like it smelled of death.

"Third Clause: _No medical ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon_."

Sakura's breathing slowed as she was bathed in the warmth of the sun.

"Fourth Clause: _Only those medic ninja who...have...master..._" her voice trailed off as sleep took over.

••••••••

Obito stood on the low roof of the Akatsuki hideout, his arms crossed casually over his chest. The warm summer wind gripped playfully at his robe and hair but he ignored it entirely as he stared at the sleeping girl. He couldn't comprehend how things had changed. Suddenly, there was a new obstacle in the way of his perfect plan. What was he going to do with her? He didn't know what to expect from her. She didn't seem like a very powerful creature but that was the beauty of her danger; she was a wild card.

It was too late to change directions. This girl would just have to bow to his will or be demolished like the others that had stood in his way. Without pressing further into such aggrevating thoughts, Obito leapt from the edge of the roof and landed in the soft grass below. He neared the girl and bent down to shake her shoulder. However, as he reached out a hand, vicious memories flooded his senses.

He knew he was staring down at an entirely different girl's face but he could only see Rin—the love of his life—in the sea of grass. Her face was pale and bloody; exactly the same as he had last saw her. He held his breath and retracted his hand. Cold resolve clamped around his heart and he snapped his eyes shut to such images. This was why he had to continue with his plans – to be with Rin again.

Nothing else had worked.

Everyone else had failed.

He wouldn't. He was going to bring about a change that would end all sorrow.

"Sakura!" he chanted. "Time to wake up! We have shopping to do!"

••••••••

Sakura shifted the straps of the cloth bag higher up her shoulder. In the satchel's compartment, vegetables, fruits, and more bounced against her leg as she walked. When Itachi had said she had a mission, she hadn't expected that to mean grocery shopping. She didn't complain, however. After her last mission, she was terrified of what they'd make her do next.

The heat beat down on her exposed arms and she lifted a hand to block the sun from her eyes. All around her people mosied around the market place and went about their everyday lives, completely unaware that two dangerous criminals were in their midst. The normality surrounding her made her stomach feel hollow; it felt as if she were in a dream that she couldn't wake up from. Skaura's head bowed and she clutched the satchel straps unconsciously._ Have I been locked away so long that normal makes me uncomfortable?_

"Sakura, look what I found!" Tobi bellowed.

The pinkette was so startled, she jolted and a cantaloupe jumped from her bag. Sakura quickly snatched the fruit up before someone tripped over it, earning her a few weary gazes from passers by. Sakura scanned the crowd for her masked companion. He wasn't hard to find. He stood by a watermelon cart a little further down the market lane and was waving his arms frantically to get Sakura's attention. He was practically jumping with excitement.

This bumbling idiot was a member of the Akatsuki. She had to remind herself of that constantly; it sounded like a big fat lie. Carefully, the girl meandered her way through the crowd

"What is it?" she asked hurriedly as she got closer.

"Taste this."

Before Sakura could react, Tobi had shoved a slice of watermelon between her lips. She chewed timidly and glanced at the vender. The man simply smiled at the both of them from under bushy eyebrows.

"How does it taste, miss?" the vender asked hopefully.

"It's sweet," Sakura stated around the mouthful of food. She touched a hand to her lips as she swallowed the fruit. "Delicious."

The vender's smile widened and Tobi's flailing became more insistent.

"Can we buy one please?!" Tobi begged.

Sakura's eyes drifted down to the green striped fruits. "Tobi, how are we going to get a watermelon back to the-" she hesitated, thinking of a word to swap out for "hideout".

Thankfully, Tobi cut her off – something he was great at, "I'll carry it back now and you can do the rest of the shopping."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest. She didn't want to be stuck here in this heat shopping for everyone else while Tobi would be back at the hideout chowing down on watermelon. She clamped her mouth shut, however. If Tobi left, she would be alone. With him gone, she could peruse the food carefully and ignore the nauseating fact that she didn't belong here. She wanted to be surrounded by normal people for just a little while. For a short amount of time, she wanted to live in a lie of normality.

She nodded weakly, feeling awkward giving an Akatsuki member her permission. "D-don't eat it all or the others will be mad."

Tobi giggled maddeningly, ignoring her warning altogether, and rushed off back to the hideout so quickly he kicked up a dust cloud behind him. Sakura grimaced.

Sakura moved along the many aisles of food, picking and choosing her items carefully. She grinned deviously as she "accidently" handed over a little more money than she should have for a nice sized melon. She could practically hear Kakuzu grinding his teeth together as she spent the Akatsuki's money. She mentally ticked off the items on her list as she gathered them up in her cloth bag. The poor thing sagged more and more with every item she added.

_I only need one more thing,_ Sakura noted.

The sweltering heat, however, became too much and the milling bodies surrounding her made her stomach to flips as her eyes blurred. She ducked down an alley quickly, hoping she didn't seem suspicious. She hadn't gotten far when a cold hand grasped her wrist and spun her around. The satchel dropped to the ground and several circular fruits tumbled out. The owner of the cold hand shoved Sakura roughly against the wall of one of the buildings as she looked forlornly at her lost fruit.

"Why did you—"

"We saw you with that masked creep," a man hissed.

Her attacker was disproportionally bulky around his shoulders and arms. He had shaggy brown hair and a scar over one eye. His two lackeys remained behind him. Neither of them looked like they wanted to be here.

"Why does it matter who I'm with?" The hum of voices from the market seemed distant to Sakura's ears.

"A man who hides his identity is up to no good."

"And you're so pious? Attacking women in alleys?" Sakura shot back.

She just wanted to get back. This had been enough adventure for her today.

The man balked at her comeback and his grip on her lessened the slightest. "I won't hurt you if you tell me where that man's going."

"Are you going to go attack him?" Sakura almost laughed at the idea. A thug trying to breech an Akatsuki hideout was a joke. A bad one.

"Maybe I will," the man snarled as he edged his face closer to hers.

One lackey placed a hand on the disproportioned thug's shoulder. "Come on, man. Let's just go home."

"Yeah, maybe the guy's just disfigured so that's why he wears that mask," Lackey Two agreed.

"You two go home if you want but I'm not letting that masked freak go. I'll get his location out of this girl even if I have to beat it out of her."

Lackey Two threw his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "Whoa, I'm not getting mixed up in that. I'm going home."

Both men left promptly, which left their bulky friend somewhat stunned.

"Are you going to let me go?" Sakura asked.

His grip on her wrist tightened. "Not a chance. Tell me where he—"

_Thud_.

The guy was smashed down into the ground and effectively cut off. Sakura quickly met the crimson gaze of the assailant and began to question him. Itachi, however, clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. He leaned in close, still perched on the unconscious thug's back. Disliking the thinning distance between them, Sakura put a hand up to stop him from getting any closer. He glanced down at her curiously but simply pointed to the other end of the alley without questioning her. The other side was a lot quieter than the bustling market place and had gone unnoticed by Sakura until now. Beside a winding creek, a boy sat cross-legged with his back to the alley. A spiky-haired blond jogged up next to the boy and slapped a hand on his back. The new boy's voice was muffled by the distance but Sakura didn't have to hear it to know the identity of the body. Her heart plummeted to her stomach and the color drained from her face.

Itachi disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Sakura sagged against the wall with her wide eyes locked on Naruto's distant figure. The thug groaned at her feet as Sakura raced to fill her satchel. _I have to get away_, she thought frantically. _I can't let Naruto see me._

Unfortunately, the large crowd by the market place exit was too thick to run through in time and she sure as hell wasn't going to run _toward _the friend she was trying to avoid. Desperately, Sakura threw back her head to look for another escape route. She was considering how to best utilize the roofs as a means of escape when a trail of black hair blowing in the wind caught her eye.

She clutched the straps of her bag with renewed determination and bolted toward her escape.

••••••••

Itachi stared down at the pair of Leaf ninja, his weary eyes straining to see them. A warm breeze rolled by, shifting his hair and clothing gently. Itachi let out a pent up sigh, closing his tired eyes momentarily. A shift in the wind, however, made his eyes snap open.

"Are you spying on me?" his visitor asked snappishly.

Itachi turned to see Sakura glaring down at him indignantly, her green eyes glowering. She dropped her satchel on the roof and a cantaloupe rolled out. Cursing, she chased after it, nearly slipping on the roof tiles. Itachi snagged the back of her shirt to keep her from falling off of the roof and dragged her closer to him – to safety.

Sakura dropped beside him heavily, clutching her runaway cantaloupe so tightly he thought she might leave nail marks in the poor thing's skin. She couldn't pull her eyes from the ninja below.

"They're your friends, aren't they?"

Sakura gave him a small nod, keeping her eyes riveted to the blond below. "That one is."

Itachi's poor eyes worked to focus on the blond boy. He was raving about something but the wind carried off his words.

"That's the jinchuriki. You have a connection to him?"

Sakura's grip on her fruit tightened and, astonishingly, the object cracked in her arms. The girl didn't even notice. "He's my closest friend."

Laughter drifted up from below and the pinkette shuddered. Sakura didn't realize how close she was to Itachi; when she moved, he could feel it against his arm. Her face had paled and the sweat trickling down her temple wasn't from the heat. Her bag was sprawled out on the roof, its contents ready to spill out if Sakura so much as sneezed.

Rather abruptly, a memory pushed its way into the Uchiha's focus; Itachi recalled the way Sakura had looked when he'd first met her. Her skin had been a sickly gray color and her lips had been tinted blue from the cold. Her face had been gaunt with starvation. However, a fire had burned intensely behind her sunken eyes. In this moment, it was hard to believe that this girl was the same person as then. Now her hair was brushed neatly and smelled freshly washed. Her skin was warm and slightly pink from the sun's harsh rays. Her clothes hung on her small frame but she no longer looked like a scrawny skeleton. She looked healthy and alive.

Healthy.

That single word struck a cord with Itachi. He'd been sick for so long, he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to _not_ cough up blood every day. His illness was consuming him sooner than he'd thought and he was desperate to prolong his life.

_Ask Sakura to heal you. _Kisame's words echoed in Itachi's skull and the Uchiha bowed his head.

Itachi was dying. Fast. His death was set in stone but he didn't believe that the Leaf was safe once he was dead. He had to do all he could to insure the village's safety once he was in the ground. With the way things had progressed, Itachi had steadily been losing hope for his home. His hope for his brother had dwindled as well. However, this girl's fire brought back that hope. Admittedly, Itachi felt incredibly guilty about and weary of placing even an ounce of hope on someone as frail as her. However, the fire he'd seen in her betrayed her simple looks. She was weak but she wasn't weak-willed.

She was a risk he was willing to take. He had no other choice at this point.

"Oh god," Sakura moaned beside him; she looked like she was going to be sick. "What is he _doing_ here?"

Itachi returned his focus to the present and gazed down at the two boys below. Naruto was rambling about something and waving his arms fanatically as the other boy calmly gathered his belongings into a backpack.

"They're here to meet someone," Itachi replied.

"Why haven't you attacked him?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

That fire burned hotly in her eyes again and Itachi let out a light sigh. Maybe he'd been wrong about her; those eyes only seemed to burn when she was looking at _him_.

Absently, he muttered aloud, "How am I going to redirect that fire?"

Sakura stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "What?"

The Uchiha closed his eyes and his clone puffed out of existence.

••••••••

Sakura stared at the place Itachi had vacated with wide eyes. She felt like shouting a string of insults at the cryptic Uchiha but didn't want to draw attention to herself. Naruto glanced over his shoulder and his blue gaze traveled up the buildings to stare at the roofs. Sakura squeaked and smashed herself against the roof on her stomach. She prayed that he didn't see her. Several painful minutes ticked by but Sakura refused to move even though a jagged piece of roofing tile was jabbed up between her ribs. She heard Naruto's loud voice but couldn't distinguish the words. Sweat beaded on her forehead as the minutes ticked by; the blazing sun and her nerves teamed up to make her into a puddle.

Finally deciding she'd wasted enough time, she pushed herself up from the roof. Thankfully, the area where Sai and Naruto had been was abandoned. She let out a sigh of relief and hopped down from the roof on unsteady legs. She checked that her fruits and veggies were still in her satchel and picked the bag up. She glanced out over the roof as she shifted the bag higher up her shoulder.

_Who are they here to meet? _she wondered as a light breeze whipped by, carrying the scent of rain.

••••••••

Sakura stepped through the doorway of the hideout, hopping as she tried to remove her shoes without sitting down.

"Where were you?" a voice growled.

Sakura's skin prickled as she lifted her gaze to meet the strange-eyed Kakuzu. Kakuzu had been one of the men to capture her but she'd had minimal contact with him. As far as she could tell, he was cold and distant. He'd simply sat back as the silver-haired freak had slaughtered those young genin. The only reason he'd even stepped in to stop Hidan from killing Sakura was to claim that she was worth more alive than dead.

"The market." Sakura lifted up a separate bag from her cloth one and tried to sound nonchalant. "I brought back cake."

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. "Who told you to buy cake. I work hard for that money and you squander it away on something as useless as—"

"Did I hear someone mention cake!?" Tobi screeched, appearing around the corner like a whirlwind.

He held out his hands expectedly, wiggling his fingers. Sakura ignored him and stepped up into the house. She passed Kakuzu silently, her skin tingling. However, she didn't get far before she heard Dediara shout Kakuzu's name from outside. Kakuzu went to the door, grumbling about money.

"What?" he demanded angrily.

"Don't you 'what' me!" Deidara shrieked. "Go get your sewing kit!"

"Excuse me?" Kakuzu growled as he stormed outside so he could yell at Deidara from a closer range.

Sakura set her bags aside and moved to the doorway. She peered around the door frame as Tobi burst past her, crying Deidara's name loudly, "Are you alright, Deidara?!"

"Get the hell away from me, you dumbass!" Deidara howled as he lifted a foot to stop Tobi's advancement.

Several of Deidara's black stitches in his new arm were loose and he had to clutch said arm to his torso to keep it from falling off. Kakuzu bent closer to survey the damage. When he saw just how bad it was, Sakura thought he might explode.

"My talents are wasted on an idiot like you!"

"My damn arm is falling off!" Deidara's nostrils flared. "Don't blame me because you did a shitty job!"

"Maybe I'll rip both of your arms off and take them back then!"

Sakura seized her opportunity and cleared her throat. All eyes fell on her.

"I could give it a shot," she offered, making an effort to keep the uncertainty from her voice.

"Alright," Kakuzu chuckled. It was the first time Sakura had heard amusement in the man's voice.

"You're going to let her come at me with a needle?!" Deidara looked from Kakuzu to Sakura with sickening speed and wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Since my services aren't enough for you, maybe hers will be." Kakuzu spoke now to Sakura. "I'll show you where the supplies are. If you break anything, I'm going to break _you_."

••••••••

Sakura swiped her hand across her forehead to brush away the sweat that had collected there. Despite the fan overhead, the room was still insufferably hot. She worked the stitches into Deidara's muscle with mild difficulty using Kakuzu's tools. She felt disgusted fixing the man who had kidnapped Gaara but was glad to have the opportunity to show her worth. If she was going to work like a spy in this organization, she needed to prove that she was worth keeping around. She stabbed the needle through Deidara's skin with a little more force than necessary. He didn't even flinch.

Thinking of her secret agenda, Sakura felt a twinge of dark glee bubble in her chest. She smothered it quickly, however, when she felt Deidara's eyes on her. Sakura pulled back to survey her work and was pleasantly surprised. She certainly wasn't a seamstress - several of the stitches were slightly crooked- but it would hold. Deidara sat on the metal table, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders to make sure everything still worked properly.

Deidara shot an insolent look her way. "If you're expecting thanks, you aren't going to get it."

Sakura moved away from him, turning on the faucet and dipping her hands under the cool water that poured out. "I didn't ask for any," she replied coolly.

Deidara made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat and hopped down from the table. "I've got training to do. If my stitches come undone again, I won't be so nice."

_This is being nice?_ Sakura thought with vehemence as he left the room.

A female voice calling her name startled the girl out of her skin. The blue-haired woman from the bath waltzed into the room. Her heavy-lidded eyes were disturbingly focused and distant at the same time. Seeing the woman was a rarity; Sakura had seen Leader more often than she'd seen this woman.

"Is there something you need?" Sakura asked politely.

"I need to speak with you about your upcoming mission."

"Upcoming mission? I wasn't told of any—"

"No. That's because I'm in charge of your missions for now. I came to inform you that your next mission will take place in five days. Please be ready."

The woman moved to leave and Sakura reached out for her. She stopped herself, however, and blurted, "What's your name?"

The blue-haired woman glanced over her shoulder. She seemed suspicious of Sakura's simple question. "You want to know my name?"

"Is that wrong?" Sakura asked dumbly. "Is it some kind of secret?"

She shook her head, an actual smile forming on her face. She was quiet pretty when she didn't look so deadpan. "It's Konan."

"Alright, Konan. So, you decide on all of my missions? What if someone in the group doesn't like your decision?"

Konan's smile disappeared. "My decision's are final."

A red flag went up and Sakura swerved around the subject. She decided to fish for information instead. "Who am I going with on this next mission?"

"Will knowing help your performance?"

"I'll know what to expect."

"Fine." Konan turned her face away from Sakura. "Your next partners are Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. You'll be going to the Tenchi Bridge."

••••••••

Sakura twisted her doorknob but the frustrating thing wouldn't turn completely. She tried again and again until she finally just kicked the door in. She shuddered at the thought of Kakuzu's anger over the busted doorframe and carefully closed the door behind her so the damage would-hopefully-go unnoticed. As she walked across her room, she tripped over her robe and crashed to the ground with a groan.

_This is why you shouldn't leave your things on the floor_, she chided as she scooped up the robe and her black gloves into her arms.

Something dropped down from the bundle of clothing and fell at Sakura's feet. The girl bent down and picked up a folded piece of paper. She glanced over her shoulder, pondering the paper's origin. Had the note fallen from inside her glove? Why would someone go through the effort of putting a note in her gloves? A sudden spark of panic shot through her heart. Had someone discovered her secret? Could they be blackmailing her about Sasori's death? Sakura's nostrils flared with unbidden ire and she flipped the paper open angrily. The edges were rough as if the note had been torn from a larger piece of paper in a hurry. Sakura's breath caught in her throat as she noticed the blood dried on one corner of the page. Scrawled across the paper in shaky writing was one simple phrase and a signature. Sakura dared not speak the author's name aloud so the name was whispered in the safety of her own mind: _Chiyo..._

Sakura stared down at the slip of paper that rested between her trembling fingers. Choppy memories struck her hard and fast. She remembered staring through bleary eyes as Chiyo ended her grandson's life. She remembered staring up into the woman's face. She remembered a blue glow and Chiyo's warm hands.

Sakura's hand went to her side-the place where she'd been run through with Sasori's sword. Had the old woman healed her? The pinkette was burdened with guilt over the older woman's compassion. Chiyo had only known Sakura as an Akatsuki member. Sure, Sakura had fought with Chiyo but did that really mean Sakura deserved the older woman's help after Sasori was dead? The gravity of the week and her situation finally crashed down on the trembling kunoichi's shoulders and Sakura clamped a hand over her mouth to keep a sob from escaping her lips.

* * *

**I really like Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato. They all make me want to gather them in a hug XD Is that weird? **

**Review, message me, or Favorite :D **_-Anii_


	9. Chapter 9

**Itachi's birthday is Monday!**

**(June 9th)**

**Oddly enough, this chapter is the 9th chapter lol**

**And (through pure coincidence) this chapter sort of revolves around him.**

**Anywho, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ITACHI :D**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 9: "****You know you're hell behind your beautiful eyes, a feeling I can't fight."**

**_― Reprobate Romance by Blacklisted Me_**

Sakura bolted upright in her bed. She stared wildly around the room, searching frantically for monsters that only existed in her head. Her breathing was quick and unsteady. Her night-clothes clung to her body with cold sweat. Screams still echoed in her ears even though she was no longer trapped in the nightmare. Sakura buried her face in her hands as she tried to calm her breathing. She repeatedly told herself that the things she'd seen were only a dream but it didn't do much to alleviate her panic-stricken body. Her face dropped down into her hands as the images rose unaided from her unconsciousness. With those images came a dark terror that suffocated her.

_I need to walk around,_ Sakura insisted frantically as she fought for control.

She wasn't sure the Akatsuki liked people walking around during the night but Sakura really didn't care at this moment; she just needed to get out of this room. She crawled out of bed, nearly tripping on her sheets and face-planting on the floor. She opened her door carefully, cringing when it groaned loudly. No one came running over to pitch her back in her room, so she assumed she was safe to continue. She closed her door behind her and trudged down the hallway cautiously. The hideout was cold but Sakura didn't mind; being cold kept her awake.

The hallways were dark and eerie. It took several moments for her eyes to adjust to the smothering darkness. Even with her clearer vision, she still had trouble distinguishing where she was. It didn't matter, however. Right now, she could care less about where she was; she needed to get away. The rhythmical dull thud of her bare feet slapping against the wooden floor did nothing to shake Sakura from her muddled thoughts. She paused in her mindless walk to push her hand through her hair, which hung savagely about her face. She grimaced as she noticed the tremble in her fingers. A dim roar echoed down the hallway and Sakura flinched.

"Are you afraid of thunderstorms?"

The pinkette whirled around instantly as her heart leapt up in her throat. "I**_―_**"

Tobi shifted out of the shadows, chuckling softly. "Your secret's safe with me, Sakura."

Something in the masked man's voice was off. He spoke slower and his tone was much deeper. Unnerved by the switch, Sakura could only think of ways to get away. Tobi must have seen her "cornered animal" look because he laughed and backed away from her.

"I've never been able to sleep when it's raining." Tobi turned his head as if he were looking down the hall. "Not that I sleep much anyway."

His face was unreadable behind that mask but the distance in his tone was an ovbious tell that Tobi was swimming deep in his own dark thoughts. As silence fell, Sakura awkwardly shifted on the balls of her feet. She wrung her hands behind her back nervously, an action that Tobi no doubt spotted.

"If you're looking for him, he's not here," Tobi cooed.

The girl was genuinely confused by his teasing, "Him?"

"The Uchiha."

Sakura's cheeks flared. "I wasn't looking for him."

"Don't you want to know where he is?" Tobi teased, his voice raising back into that playful, high-pitched tone.

"You make it seem like I care."

"He was the one to advocate for you."

"That doesn't mean I care where he goes. He's an Akatsuki member and it's not my place to demand information," Sakura snapped.

The words had flown so quickly from her mouth, she almost couldn't believe she'd said them. She was just thankful her temper had worked _with_ her instead of against her. Even though Tobi seemed like a goofy idiot, he still was an enemy and a slip up around him would be a _very_ bad thing.

He seemed disappointed in her. "How simple of you."

Under the rumble of thunder, another sound could be heard**_―_**footsteps**_―_**and Sakura instinctively bolted out of sight. She pressed herself against a wall as the night's chill crept through the fabric of her black nightshirt. The kunoichi peered around the corner, vying for a glimpse of the approaching person. A fair-skinned man with hair as dark as midnight peeled himself away from the shadows of the hallway as he strode towards a simple wooden door. He opened the door and a flood of light poured out. Sakura shrank away from the torchlight and waited with bated breath for Itachi to disappear into his room. Instead of doing as she wished, however, Itachi paused in the doorway.

"Are you going to keep standing out in the hallway?"

Itachi's voice was even quieter than usual. His back wasn't as straight**_―_**his shoulders slumped a bit**_―_**and his red cloud robe was missing. Ever the clever ninja, Sakura willed her body to be still. If she gave no response, maybe Itachi would proceed into his room and she could sneak away undetected. Unfortunately, Tobi burst into a fit of giggles and cried, "You caught us, Itachi!"

"Come here, Sakura," Itachi ordered tiredly.

Tobi gasped. "Did I get you in trouble, Sakura?"

The pinkette wished for nothing more than to slam the jackass's face into a wall; he'd given her away on purpose. She brushed past the masked creep but Tobi stepped in front of her to block her way. He bent down and whispered into her ear, "For your sake, I hope you get more interesting."

Sakura clenched her fists as a shudder raced down her spine. "I'm not a plaything."

Tobi chuckled and his image flickered before vanishing. Sakura exhaled harshly in an attempt to let some of the tension ease from her body. She felt nauseous from the build up of anxiety in her system. The girl bit down on her lip and pressed on, using all of her will and courage to enter the lion's den. She moved cautiously to the doorway, peering inside the room for the vicious lion himself. However, the moment she passed the threshold, the flickering flames that illuminated the room vanished immediately as if someone had blown them all out with a single breath; the room slipped into complete darkness. Unseen hands seized Sakura by the wrist and dragged her deeper into the room. They tossed her to the ground roughly and the girl spilled to the floor, her sleep-deprived body too weak to do much else.

A door slammed.

Sakura could feel a warm, sticky liquid spread across the floor, creeping up slowly to touch the tips of her fingers in the inky darkness. She didn't shy away and remained still. It wasn't long before her nose locked onto the coppery tang of blood that hung in the air. She grimaced, disgusted by the smell.

"Save me," came the feeble cry.

It didn't take her more than a moment to put a face to the disembodied voice. She didn't say his name but her throat tightened with emotion. The trembling voice calling out belonged to Sasuke.

"Please. Someone." When she didn't reply, Sasuke's voice became more frantic, pleading for salvation that she refused to give.

"If you're going to use genjutsu," Sakura whispered, her voice hoarse with barely contained ire. "Why don't you try something original?"

She forced the chakra away and the world returned to normal with sickening speed. Sakura found herself in the middle of the floor in Itachi's brightly lit bedroom. The red-eyed occupant stood behind her, his back pressed up against his closed door. Sakura rose to her feet and met his bland stare with an equally blank gaze. Neither of them spoke for several fleeting moments until Itachi doubled over and clasped a hand over his mouth as a coughing fit seized his body.

As Itachi's body lurched to the side, the pinkette's hand grasped his arm almost of its own volition. Itachi swayed against her, apparently unable to stand on his own. Sakura let out a startled grunt but managed to steady the much taller ninja.

_I should drop this bastard right now,_ she grumbled inwardly, wishing with all her might that she would.

With only a minor struggle, Sakura maneuvered the unconscious man over to his bed.

"Damn it, Itachi," she hissed as she untangled herself from him and stepped back.

She really didn't expect a response; she could clearly see that the man was out cold. A seeping chill crept into her body and her back stiffened. Something nagged at the corners of her mind—something she felt was important—but the more she reached out for it, the further it shrank back. Sakura puffed out a sigh as she snatched up a white rag and dabbed it over Itachi's pale, dirt-stained face.

She should have dropped him on the floor earlier. After everything he'd done, being dropped on his ass was only a small sliver of what he had coming for him. She still wanted to. In fact, she told herself, it wasn't too late to toss his ass on the ground right now. She didn't though. Instead, she remained perched precariously on the edge of his bed, mopping up the sweat, blood, and dirt from the sleeping man's face. As she stared down at Itachi with only curious eyes, she found herself, again, surprised by his youthful appearance. Sakura paused in her care and rested the rag gently against Itachi's cheek.

"What are you?" she whispered as her brow furrowed.

She had no idea why she asked such an arbitrary question. She knew what he was: a monster. Annoyed by her idiocy, Sakura pulled away her hand and plopped the rag back in the water bowl. She dropped her head into her hands out of sheer frustration and let out one long exhale in hopes that some of the negative emotions would leave her system. After she felt a slight amount of peace return to her being, the girl lifted her head. She didn't return her gaze back to Itachi's countenance. Instead, she stared at her own hands, which were now clasped tightly in the center of her lap.

Why was she behaving this way? Why was she searching inside of these people – these _monsters_? It wasn't as if they had shown her undue kindness of anything of the like. So why was she so determined to remove the demonic masks from their faces and see the humans underneath?

She answered her own question with numb resolve: _because I can't live with my decision to be one of them if I don't. I can't go on if I know I'm helping monsters. I can't live _**being**_ a monster._

Sakura glanced back at the sleeping man's face, confused by the sweat beading again on his startlingly pale forehead. Instinctively, she reached out a hand and pressed it over his forehead. The fire that warmed her palm alerted the girl to Itachi's incredibly high fever. She bent over his body carefully, studying his visage with the eye of a medic. The Uchiha's brow furrowed many times as if he were seeing something unpleasant. Could he be reacting to nightmares? If so, Sakura could relate. The pinkette's own nightmares threatened to creep back into her focus but she shoved them back down into her unconsciousness where they belonged. Sakura felt a twinge of guilt every time Itachi's eyes twitched. As if to spare herself the sight, she clasped her hands over the man's eyes.

The moment she did, she regretted it.

The world around her melted away slowly, leaving Sakura in complete darkness. Even Itachi disappeared. Sakura felt her breath hitch in her throat as panic swept up her spine. She tried and failed to call out into the darkness; her voice didn't seem to work. A disturbing chill wrapped around her as if embracing the scared girl. Sakura's finger tips tingled as if going numb and the girl narrowed her eyes as she recognized the genjutsu controlling her mind. Was Itachi putting her under yet another genjutsu? This time, the girl really was going to drop his ass onto the floor. She lifted her hands to dispel the jutsu, but a shimmer of light stopped her. She glared suspiciously toward the light but felt compelled to go near it. When ghostly fingers trailed down her spine, Sakura made a snap decision. She lowered her arms and bolted toward the pinkette thrust out a hand and, just as her hand passed through the light, the world of darkness burst to life with visions that whipped by at such a sickening speed, Sakura felt her head spin. Her eyes barely focused on one image before another replaced it. Sounds also fought one another for attention. Voices overlapped each other until Sakura's senses overloaded. She finally clamped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

Only when the muffled sounds stopped did Sakura reluctantly remove her hands and open her eyes. Thunder roared above and, for a moment, she thought she was free of the genjutsu. A drop of rain dropped onto her nose and the girl tipped back her head. A pitch black sky stretched out above her and dumped cold rain on the kunoichi. Sakura grabbed her tingling arm as if to silence its warning and she scanned the area, unsure of what the genjutsu was trying to show her. The landscape was too fuzzy to be recognizable but the figure five feet away was easy to identify. Itachi seemed oblivious to her presence even though he was so close. Rain pelted both ninja but Itachi seemed unfazed by the chilling droplets. Sakura's breath puffed out of her mouth in a white cloud. She was about to tell him to knock of the genjutsu when she noticed the deep shade of maroon on his clothing; the man was practically drenched in blood.

Itachi lifted his trembling hand. Sakura had never seen Itachi tremble before.

The Uchiha inhaled sharply, his eyes widening as he stared down at his bloodied hands. He seemed surprised and horrified by what he saw. Water stained a pale shade of red trailed down his arm in winding paths and carried away the testament of his sin. Itachi quickly folded his fingers into his palm and shoved his fist against his chest. His body seemed suddenly devoid of energy and he crashed down on his knees, sending up a spray of rain that had pooled at his feet. He thrust back his head, grinding his teeth together tightly as fat drops of rain rolled down his cheek. He went to take in a deep breath and it was as if all barriers holding back his inner pain shattered; a terrifying sound sprang from his throat. It was disturbingly animalistic but Itachi's cry of agony rang clear in the stormy night.

Sakura stumbled back out of shock and it was as if she'd pulled the plug; the illusion melted away like wax down a candle. As her mind came back to reality, she realized how tense her body was. Her fingers clutched her shirt front with a grip of steel. She'd been holding her breath and her muscles felt sore. A prickling sensation began along the back of her neck and she glanced down at Itachi to find a pair of burning eyes boring into her. Why would Itachi cast a genjutsu like that? Was it to get her to trust him? If so, he would have to try a hell of a lot harder than that. A few shady images weren't going to make her forget what he was.

Sakura licked her dry lips nervously. "Itachi...what was—"

"You should get back to your room."

The pinkette's confusion subsided momentarily as anger took control. She glared down at the Uchiha, seeming to mildly surprise him.

"Don't try to run me out. What the hell just happened?" she demanded.

Itachi sat up until he was nose-to-nose with her. Sakura gulped hard as her eyes lifted to meet his intense gaze. Itachi grabbed her shoulder and she winced; the action hadn't hurt but it unexpected enough to surprise her. Itachi bowed his head toward her. She could feel his breath on her cheek. Sakura's ears felt hot and she defiantly jerked her attention to a corner in the room. She felt the heat of Itachi's breath move up her neck until it reached her ear.

"Don't advert your eyes from me," he whispered.

Sakura shuddered and felt a fog swallow up her mind. Her eyes flicked back to him and she met his gaze with compliance. Her body screamed to look away but she forced herself not to. Needing something to concentrate on, she decided to focus on the small lines etched inside of Itachi's eyes.

Instantly, she was fascinated.

All control went out the window as she put both her hands on Itachi's cheeks, holding his face steady so she could get a better look at the specimen. From this distance, she could see the perfect edges of the black shapes inside of Itachi's eyes. They looked as if someone had used a cookie cutter to cut out insanely crisp shapes from a sea of red. Upon further inspection, she also noticed that the Sharingan was more than just one shade of red. There were smaller, lighter lines of red alongside thick strokes of maroon in each of Itachi's eyes. Altogether, she counted three different shades of red. The Sharingan was a deadly tool but also a work of captivating art, she concluded.

_I wonder if anyone has studied the Sharingan this closely? _Sakura leaned in closer and Itachi jerked his head back to free himself from her hands.

"Get to bed," he ordered abruptly. "Tomorrow you have another mission. If you don't wake up early, I'll send Kisame in after you."

Sakura pulled herself away and the whoosh of air was cool against her heated skin. "Don't joke like that."

"Who said I was joking?"

His face was so damn stoic she couldn't tell if that was a joke as well. After this little incident, she really wasn't sure of what to expect from Itachi, so she decided to heed the warning and leave. Before moving, however, she asked, "How did you know that I know Sasuke?"

Itachi didn't quiet seem to understand her question, which the pinkette found odd. After several moments, Itachi's replied, "You said his name the first time we met.

"I don't remember that."

"You were delusional."

Sakura blushed at that bit; being in a disillusioned state in front of the Uchiha was surprisingly embarrassing. She didn't honestly buy Itachi's excuse. After seeing the pain in his face at the mention of his younger brother, Sakura wondered about Itachi's feelings for his sibling. The hatred Sasuke felt for Itachi was immense and Sakura had always assumed that the feeling was mutual on Itachi's side. Apparently, there was more to this familial relationship than any intruder could understand. Abruptly, a nagging thought crossed her mind: was the genjutsu from earlier meant for her? Who else could it have been for? There was no one else here. The girl's temples throbbed and she clenched her jaw. _Too many questions, not enough answers._

The pinkette slid off of the bed and dropped down to the floor. "What was it you called me in here for?"

Itachi seemed confused again. After gathering his thoughts yet again, he said, "I assume Konan told you about the mission?"

Sakura nodded wearily. "She did."

"Don't trust Kisame."

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Then take this as a reminder: don't trust anyone. Remember that. Don't get comfortable here. Don't assume anyone is more than they seem."

"Even you?" Sakura asked.

Itachi seemed to grimace before responding, "Especially me."

"Alright," Sakura said coolly despite her own confusion.

Why would Itachi tell her not to trust him yet show her a genjutsu with him looking more human than she'd ever seen him? What was the purpose of contradicting himself? To confuse her? It was working. But her confusion didn't mean that her guard was down. She would take his advice, she decided. Sakura touched a hand to her aching head. This was enough adventure for her tonight and she felt exhausted. She paused in her trek to the doorway.

"One more thing," she murmured. "I wanted to thank you for this opportunity. I'm not going to let it go to waste."

Her fierce gaze met his to drive the point home. She still hated the man for what he was. She was still weary of his motives. He still scared the hell out of her. But because of him, Sakura had had the opportunity to bring down a dangerous man – a feat she would have thought impossible before. She was alive, her friends were alive, and Sasori was dead. Everyone was safe for now. Everyone except for the Akatsuki.

••••••••

Itachi collapsed against his door, rattling the wooden surface. A shaking hand covered his mouth as the shock settled in. What had her questions meant? What had she seen? There was no possible way she could have seen his nightmares, was there? He'd been so sick and in and out of sleep the whole walk back to the hideout that he hardly remembered much before he woke up in his bed and found her looking like a terrified statue. Was she afraid of him? No, that couldn't be it. Mere moments after being a statue, the girl had grabbed his face as if they were lovers. And, unfortunately, he'd almost bought into it. Whatever had happened in these last few moments was unnerving and he wasn't okay with it. He'd never felt out of control and so unsettled. He knew people. He knew how they worked and what to predict from them. People rarely surprised him.

_I almost lost myself in there, _Itachi admitted frankly to himself.

He'd been so in control just after waking up and had even, admittedly, attempted to scare the girl off with his abruptness. It seemed to have worked...up until she saw his eyes. As if a light had been switched in her brain, a child-like wonder had sprung up in her face and she turned the tables on him. Her lips, her smell, her touch, were the only things that filled his mind while he was held captive. His face had remained blank but inside he was feeling the heat of longing. His eyes narrowed as he recalled everything that happened only moments before: her face as he had woken up; the faint smell of vanilla lingering on her skin; the way her bottom lip had quivered, begging to be covered with his own lips; the way her skin felt as she touched his cheeks; the way she had scanned his eyes, as if reaching inside of his soul.

It all came back vividly.

And, with it, came a desire to crush those feelings. He was a walking dead man. His fate had been written and sealed; there was no going back. He didn't have time for this. Slowly, Itachi regained control over himself. His eyes closed and when they opened again, he was back to his normal self. He removed his hand from his mouth and curled his fingers into a fist as he repeated a single phrase in his mind: _dead men don't feel._

* * *

**Sorry to end on a bit of a dark note. HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS if they're about what happened with Itachi and Sakura and the vision thing.**

**I promise future chapters will provide answers. Do not flood my inbox with a million questions, please D:**

**Review, Favorite, whatever floats your boat :D **_- Anii_


	10. Chapter 10

**Very short chapter this week.**

**I had a longer chapter planned but everything I wrote just felt bleh :T**

**Even though the chapter is short, it's NOT unimportant.**

**A person in this chapter is going to lose control of themselves over Sakura's betrayal in the semi-near future.**

**All of them will experience it rather harshly but only one is going to lose it.**

**Can you guess which one?**

**I would really like to hear from those who read but don't comment!**

_-Anii_

* * *

**Chapter 10: "A far cry from a picture perfect calm. Or can you see it?"**

**_— Get Back by Nine Lashes_**

A light breeze rolled through the open window. Tsunade turned her face away from the world the window displayed to meet Kakashi's singular gaze.

"Are you sure the information is accurate?" Kakashi asked.

The Hokage cocked an eyebrow. "Do you think Chiyo is unreliable?"

"She didn't seem entirely sane when we first met her and when she wrote that note she could have been delusional from exhaustion," Kakashi noted.

"She heard straight from Kankuro before he slipped into his own delusions that a pink-haired girl was with the Akatsuki group that attack him."

"Is hair color really enough to go on?"

"Why are you so skeptical?" Tsunade asked rather harshly. "What are you afraid to admit?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he adverted his gaze. Chiding herself for losing her temper so quickly, Tsunade tried a different route, "You didn't see her then?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Don't you think I would have done something if I had?"

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of the information Chiyo had given her.

"Are you worried about her?"

Tsunade looked sideways at the silver-haired jonin. "Are you asking if I think she's capable, Kakashi?"

Kakashi leaned back against his pillows, letting out a heavy sigh riddled with bitter laughter. "Truthfully, I'm not sure what I'm asking."

Silence stretched between the two as Tsunade considered her answer and Kakashi considered his question. The two looked at each other awkwardly as neither found clarity on their respective tasks. Tsunade wondered what was going through Kakashi's mind. He'd been Sakura's teacher long before Tsunade had come into the picture. With the added fact that another of his students—Sasuke—had also defected, the Jonin must be swimming in growing guilt.

Tsunade couldn't deny that similar logic had infected her thoughts. She was Sakura's master. How could things have gotten so rotten? She halted that thought process, however, and bowed her head. Negative thoughts wouldn't solve the problem. The Hokage's heels clicked against the tiles of the hospital floor as she crossed the distance to Kakashi's bedside. Her words were directed at herself as much as they were toward Kakashi, "Things haven't completely unfolded. We'll deal with them accordingly when they come to pass."

Kakashi stared absently down at his lap but didn't continue further with the conversation. Tsunade put a hand on her hip and glanced back out of the hospital window. A storm was brewing in the distance. It wouldn't be long before it reached the village.

"Concentrate on healing for now. Let me handle the rest," she whispered firmly as she her hawk eyes locked on the rolling black storm clouds.

••••••••

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. He refused to admit that he was pouting. He was unhappily standing off to the side of his teammates with a slightly protruding lip. There was a difference between that and pouting.

"Are you done pouting?" Sai asked.

"I'm not pouting, Sai!" Naruto hissed with vehemence.

The pasty jerk sighed with contempt. "Whatever."

"You're a real bastard, you know that?!"

"Enough!" Yamato barked. The captain had been playing referee since he'd met his charges. "We're going to behave like ninja and finish the mission at hand."

Naruto rolled his eyes but chose not to press on the subject.

"Are you upset over the fact that you still can't go to find your lover?" Sai blurted.

"For the love of—" Naruto seized Sai by the front of his shirt. "Are you asking for a beating!?"

Yamato groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm only going to say it one more time. Stop fight—"

Naruto blatantly ignored the man. "Come on, Sai! Say something shitty again! I dare you!"

"You're awfully testy for someone of your status. Are you overcompensating for something?" Sai replied with a fake smile.

"You. Son. Of. A—"

The ground trembled beneath Naruto's feet and a shadow fell over the boys. The spikey-haired blond lifted his head to stare up at an enormous wooden box that stood stoically behind Yamato like a looming square mountain.

"Act like adults or I'll throw you both in here!" Yamato threatened.

"Put a muzzle on him and we wouldn't have any problems," the blond muttered as he released Sai. He refused to admit it but the box was pretty intimidating.

"Are you afraid of being in there with me, Naruto?" Sai prodded. "Are you afraid I'll win against you?"

Naruto's fists clenched at his sides but Yamato howled another warning and Naruto's rising anger came to a jarring halt.

"Enough playing around! Have you forgotten where we are and where we're headed! Stop putting your dislike for each other before the mission!" Yamato shouted.

Yamato's harsh reminder was enough to make Naruto feel like an idiot-unfortunately, it wasn't the first time. Before dying, Chiyo had feverently worked on a letter that she refused to let anyone see but Tsuande. Despite his many attempts, Naruto had never been able to get a glimpse of the writing on the parchment. Chiyo had apparently spilled all of the details to Tsunade in this letter and relayed Sasori's dying words. Because of this, Naruto was stuck traveling with Captain Stoneface and Douche of the Year to some bridge to capture a spy. This mission was the fruit of Chiyo's labor and Naruto was too busy letting Sai get under his skin. Defeated, Naruto merely sighed.

"Put away the time-out box," the blond insisted as he rubbed the back of his head with impatience. "We'll behave."

Yamato shifted, watching the boys cautiously as if he didn't trust the sudden calm. Naruto held up his hands innocently and offered the captain a smile. Yamato's suspicions weren't quenched but he did turn his back on the pair. Seizing the opportunity, Naruto smashed his fist into the back of Sai's skull and the pale boy stumbled forward. Naruto raced forward to catch up to the captain with a cocky grin.

••••••••

The silence was maddening.

Even the fire in the center of the campsite hardly made any noise. The dying embers just quietly ate away at the darkened logs in its pit. Meanwhile, Naruto was sure he felt his sanity slipping away. Sai just sat scribbling in his sketchpad while Yamato sat across the fire with a wide-eyed deadpan stare. Naruto threw his hands above his head and fell back against his bed roll.

"You guys are the absolute worst," he complained. "I'm going to bed."

Yamato grunted and stood up. "I'll go get more wood for the fire."

The captain cast a scathing glare Naruto's way before vanishing into the woods. "Behave yourself."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively and rolled on to his side so he didn't have to stare into Yamato's creepy face; he didn't want to be haunted by Captain Stoneface in his sleep. Surprisingly, sleep didn't seem too far out of reach. Naruto felt its slow embrace tug away his consciousness within minutes of laying down. It didn't take long for that to be shattered.

"You're upset," Sai remarked.

"No shit."

"Because of Sakura?"

"Because of you."

"Me bringing up Sakura?"

"Why do you care about why I'm upset?" Naruto snapped.

"I'm simply trying to understand."

"There's nothing to understand."

"There's a lot to understand."

Naruto puffed out an annoyed sigh. "Mind telling me what there is to understand that I'm just not seeing?"

"Sakura's a traitor"—Naruto promptly rolled over, nostrils flaring like a mad bull, and Sai pointed blankly—"but every time I mention it, you get that look on your face. Why does that statement bring out that face?"

"It's not a _statement_, it's your opinion."

"My opinion is supported by more fact than yours."

"Why can't you lay off the Sakura topic?" Naruto hissed.

"Why can't you accept the truth?"

Naruto sat up and jabbed a finger Sai's way. "Listen up. Sakura is not a traitor. There's no way a heartless asshole like you could comprehend how I know this, but I know Sakura! And anyone who knew her like me would know that she is as loyal as they come!"

"Are you two fighting!?" Yamato shouted from within the forest.

Naruto's eyes widened as the ground beneath him rumbled. The blond only had time to gulp nervously before the Time-Out box swallowed both he and Sai.

* * *

**Rant:**

**One of my main goals is to show that, with some careful molding, Sakura could be an excellent character.**

**Which is why I'm very upset by the fact that everyone seems to dislike her in the show. She has SO much potential. Unfortunately, most of the girls in Naruto are pretty underused and, well, pathetic. The reason I chose to write about Sakura was because of this glaring issue. I saw what I wanted to see in her because there was so much left to interpret. With the proper guidance, many of the characters could be badass and even though this story involves love, it doesn't mean that love is the only factor to shape her transformation like in so many other stories I see on here. Don't be fooled! Sakura is a great character that even Kishimoto fell in love with.**

**Okay. Sorry. Go on.**

**Note:**

**This week, I'm going to hunt down some inspiration! I'm sorry about this chapter but I just wasn't comfortable posting scenes that I didn't feel confident about. I would rather post nothing than post crap I don't like. That's what I did with the old story and that didn't turn out too well**_ -Anii_


End file.
